Harry Potter and the Edge of the Light
by Phoenix1976
Summary: AU as of Deathly Hallows: The final battle has been won, but with a terrible cost. Harry leaves for four years to find himself while the Wizarding world rebuilds itself. ...REVISION COMLETE... Sequel is in the works HPHG RWOFC
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

Hello everyone!

This is my first published story, and I have been working on a few for quite a while now. But this is my first attempt at a Harry Potter story.

This story is dedicated to the loving memory of my daughter, Crystal 2/15/00 – 8/30/05.

Rest in peace my little girl… Daddy loves you and always will…

**_DISCLAIMER:_** The characters in this story except for a couple of my original characters are owned and created by J.K. Rowling. I make NO CLAIM to ownership of the Harry Potter universe. I'm just playing in J.K.'s backyard for a bit. If I have mistakenly copied anyone else's work from here at please let me know so I can contact the person to make sure it is ok to do so. I have attempted to keep this story as original as I can. This is the only time I will post this disclaimer, as I don't want to put the same thing at the beginning of each chapter as it will become repetitive and boring.

Onto the characters:

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Ron Weasley

Sharon Carver (Original Character)

John Edwards (Original Character)

Crystal Edwards (Original Character)

Voldemort/Tom Riddle

Severus Snape

Gavin Frost (Original Character)

These are the central Characters of the story. A few more original characters may appear, and the story will include appearances of the rest of J.K.'s characters.

I will not usually ask for reviews since I am one who is guilty of reading with forgetting to leave reviews myself. If you wish to, please leave some. Also please be constructive with the reviews instead of things like "MY GAWD!! YOUR STORY SUCKS!!" If you feel that way, please explain why it does so I can try to make it more enjoyable.

With this out of the way, enjoy the story!

Thanks…


	2. All Good Things…

**A/N:** I have revised this a bit. Punctuation, and made a few changes that hopefully explains things a bit better…

**Chapter One**

**All Good Things…**

Harry leaned against the wall, and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. His head was bowed and he was breathing heavily. He slowly looked up and around and saw that Hermione was beginning to regain consciousness. Ron was unconscious and bleeding. Their battle with Nagini had not gone as they planned, but they had been victorious in the end. Now there was only one horcrux left.

Harry made his way to his feet, and approached Ron. He muttered a few healing spells, and woke Ron up with an _enervate_. Ron slowly opened his eyes and drank the potion that Harry had handed to him. Ron started to feel a bit better and looked over to Hermione. She gave him a brief smile and then grimaced at the laceration on her leg.

"Well, that went smashingly…" Harry muttered. He reached down and pick up the sword of Griffyndor, and wiped the blade off. "You guys ok?"

Hermione nodded and Ron made an affirmative grunt as they hoisted themselves off of the floor.

"We have to leave as soon as we can. I don't know when they are returning," Harry said. They had infiltrated Riddle Manor when the entire group of Death Eaters, including Voldemort had left not 10 minutes before. They had been staking out Riddle Manor for a few days now and had finally caught a break.

"Blimey Harry, give us a moment to rest up here…" Ron muttered.

Without warning, their DA Galleons started to heat up rapidly. Ron looked at Harry with wide eyes and shuddered. Hermione started to get nervous and bit her bottom lip. They all knew what the signal meant. Hogwarts was under attack.

"So much for the tea break, eh, Harry?" Ron grumbled.

Harry rolled his eyes and picked up Nagini's head, stuffing it into a bag that had the rest of the destroyed horcruxes. He let out a heavy sigh, and looked up at his two best friends.

"Well, this is the end… Ron, if anything should happen to me, please tell Ginny that I'm sorry I won't be there for her, and tell her… Well, you know…" Harry trailed off looking at the floor.

"Mate, don't be a git. You'll be able to tell her yourself. I won't let anything happen to you. We will make it through just fine," Ron said in a stern voice. Ron silently said a vow that he would not let anything happen to any of his friends.

They looked at each other and nodded. They ran from the house as fast as they could and reached the limit of the anti-apparition ward. The three Griffyndors apparated as fast as they could, without splinching themselves, into Hogsmeade and raced into the shop that the twins had setup there. Ron and Harry grabbed their brooms and Hermione hopped on with Ron, clearly looking nervous about flying.

"Just hold on tight 'Mione, you'll be fine," Ron said after noticing her discomfort. She smiled weakly at him and shut her eyes as he took off as fast as he could.

ooo

Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived in time to see the north tower of Hogwarts collapse in a shroud of smoke and flames. They saw an immense amount of dementors swarming all over, and what appeared to be the entire Death Eater army slowly advancing toward their target. They looked at each other in an unspoken agreement that this would be the last battle.

They threw themselves into the battle furiously, sending spells in every direction that they saw the Death Eater's masks. The front line was starting to break from the constant onslaught, and the Aurors were tiring fast. The teachers of Hogwarts were doing what they could to keep the defense going.

Harry took a quick look to survey the field. He reached into his pocket, and found his DA Galleon. He held it tight, and concentrated. He ran to the front line and within moments, every member of the DA was at his side, their faces set in a look of determination. They all took a collective breath and every one of them cast their patronus, to drive away the mass of dementors.

The Aurors that were backing away looked at the group of students, and they stared in awe as the army of dementors scattered and fled. The line quickly reformed and started pushing forward. They advanced quickly and began to get the upper hand.

"_Accio Firebolt!_" Harry shouted. In a few moments his Firebolt stopped at his side. He handed it to Ron, and Ron understood what to do. Ron mounted the broom and kicked off, soaring into the air above the battle.

"_SONORUS!_" Ron shouted with his wand pointed at his throat. He began to direct the teams of Aurors and the members of the DA. His clear and concise strategy quickly made a difference in the battle.

The tide of the battle turned significantly, but not without heavy losses to both sides. Seamus Finnegan was holding a motionless Lavender Brown, screaming for help, while firing off hexes and curses to keep the enemy away from her. Ernie MacMillan was facing off against a dementor trying to get to a group of terrified first years that had collapsed under the influence of the dementor. Hagrid was carrying a couple of seriously wounded students to the front gate as fast as he could. When one of the students or Aurors fell, two would take their place.

Harry dueled furiously with three Death Eaters at a time, his eyes blazing with fury. To his immediate right side was Hermione, firing off curses so fast, she barely had time to breathe. To his left, Ginny was sending curses and jinxes in bursts, toppling Death Eater after Death Eater.

The battle went on for quite a while, and the toll was tremendous. When both sides seemed ready to make a break for it, the crowd parted and there he stood, the Dark Lord himself.

"Well, well, well, Potter. Quite a welcome we received. But this ends today. I will make you suffer, and then I will make you watch, while all your friends die before I kill you once and for all," hissed Voldemort.

Harry spun around and focused his attention to the man who had ruined his life.

"Hello, Tom. I see your cronies are weak, _and_ stupid. They have been beaten by the students," Harry said, trying to get Voldemort to lose his temper and focus.

"Yes, well, they all are a disappointment, but they served their purpose. They cleared the way to you for me, and now I will finish this," Voldemort hissed, his eyes narrowing.

The duel started at a fast pace. Both opponents were sending dozens of curses at each other, neither one backing down. Some of the wounded were watching the two of them like they were in an elaborate dance. When Harry would send a spell at Voldemort, it would be lazily flicked aside or dodged with grace. When Harry was the target, his seeker reflexes would kick in, and he would easily avoid them. After a half an hour had past, both Harry and Voldemort were beginning to tire.

Harry finally landed a solid hit with a bone breaking curse. Though it did not do very much damage to Voldemort, it caused him to stumble and fall for the briefest moment. Harry seized the opportunity and sent a steady stream of hexes and curses at Voldemort, trying to keep him off balance. Lucius Malfoy saw this and ran to his master's aid. He did not quite reach his master's side as Hagrid blocked his way.

"Get out of my way, you pathetic half-breed!" the senior Malfoy hissed. However, Hagrid did not move, but drew back his gigantic hand and punched Lucius in the chest with everything he had behind it. Lucius went flying right into the path of the killing curse Voldemort had sent at Harry while he turned his head in time to see Hagrid hit LuciusHaHH. In a brilliant flash of green light, Lucius Malfoy was hit by the killing curse in between Harry and Voldemort, and he thrown to the ground dead. Voldemort howled in rage and focused on Harry.

"_CRUCIO!"_

Harry had been ready for this, as he reached out and took Ginny's hand. He felt a sudden surge of power as she gently squeezed his hand. He shouted out the spell that Hermione had created for him in case of this, Voldemort's favorite curse. It was time to pull out all of the stops, and end the fight, the battle, and the war.

"_REPERCUTIO APLIFICIO PROPAGO!!_" Harry shouted, directing a massive surge of his power behind it. A brilliantly bright shield of white appeared in front of Harry and Ginny. Hermione's eyes grew large at the sight of the spell she had helped create.

Voldemort's eyes flew open in shock as he saw the curse rebound off of Harry, and speed back into himself, blinded by the intensity. The curse hit Voldemort right in his chest and no one would forget the ear splitting scream that echoed off of the battlefield. Voldemort was writhing in agony, screaming for the whole world to hear. Every Death Eater stopped fighting watching their master fall. The Aurors and students took this advantage and quickly subdued the remaining ones that were left standing.

After the greatest pain Voldemort had ever endured, he laid still, barely breathing. Harry took this time to build up his reserve energy to finish off the Dark Lord forever. He walked over, and took Voldemort's wand in his hands, for the Dark Lord was not able to hold onto it in his weakened state. Harry knelt down looking at Voldemort with fury in his eyes. They almost seemed that they had pure magic fire pouring out.

"And now, Tom, for the end of this," Harry said coldly. He snapped the wand in two and dropped the two halves onto Voldemort's chest and backed a few steps. Ginny moved forward to Harry's side. They were ready for the final spell. Harry took out a bag from his robes. One by one, he dropped the destroyed horcruxes by Voldemort, just to show how he was truly finished. The melted locket, the charred ring, Hufflepuff's cup, the destroyed diary, Gryffndor's gold cauldron, and Nagini's head. Voldemort looked weakly at Harry, and Harry saw something in Voldemort's eyes he never thought possible, fear.

"It looks like you are truly finished this time, Tom," Harry said. He and Ginny started the complex wand movements and began their chanting. Voldemort glowed for a moment, and then he went back to normal. They continued with a slightly different chant, and they joined hands. The air around them was crackling with pure and intense magical energy; white light began to emanate from the two of them.

Hermione had warned them not to over do the spell, for it could destroy both Harry and Voldemort at the same time, not to mention anyone who was near the two of them. She motioned everyone except Ginny away. Ginny was the key to this spell to work. It was the love that Ginny and Harry shared that fueled the spell. But she noticed that the level of energy was reaching an unbelievable level, and she knew they were pushing it too hard. Something that Ginny had told her a few weeks ago finally made sense.

Ginny started to grit her teeth as the power coursing through her began overload. She was determined to finish this for Harry. She poured as much of her energy into the spell, if only to make sure Harry survived this. She could feel her nerve endings crackling painfully, but she still pressed on. She was concentrating so hard, that she did not notice Voldemort staring at her intensely.

Harry noticed the sudden increase in the power flowing from Ginny, and a voice in the back of his mind was screaming at his to stop.

"HARRY!! It's too much! You need to finish the spell before it's too late!" she screamed, trying to make them hear her over the roar of magical energy that was pulsing out in waves. Everyone was taking tentative steps back to make sure they would not get caught in the effect of the spell.

Hermione had to shield her eyes from the blinding white light coming from Harry and Ginny, while they worked to the end of the spell.

The resulting release of magic was to become legend. The wave of energy that was released, rushed out over the entire area as the very ground seemed to shudder. It affected anyone who was there that bore the Dark Mark on their arm. As a result, almost all of the Death Eaters that were present was killed by the spell that was released. The rest were severely injured or left unconscious. Hermione, along with everyone else that was on that field that day was knocked unconscious by the force of the blast.

When the students and remaining Aurors woke up, Hermione and Ron ran to the site where Harry and Ginny had defeated Voldemort. Professor McGonagall was close behind them. When she reached the area, she was not prepared for what she saw.

Hermione was sagging to the ground in sobs, and Ron let loose a tremendous roar of rage and sorrow. He fell to his knees, and began to cry. He felt that he had broken his promise by not being close enough to them to help.

Professor McGonagall walked to the center of the area and looked down. Voldemort had turned to dust. But right next to that pile of dust, was Harry clutching Ginny, his face buried in her neck, sobbing. Professor McGonagall quickly created a portkey that took the three of them directly to the Hospital Wing, where Madame Pomfrey was awaiting them.

Professor McGonagall flagged Madame Pomfrey over as soon as they appeared in the Hospital wing. Poppy handed over care of Dennis Creevey to another healer as soon as they arrived. Her hand flew to her mouth at the sight of Harry sobbing. She quickly moved in to see what she could do for them. Harry looked like he had been trampled by a herd of hippogryffs, but he refused to be touched. He released Ginny, and looked at Madame Pomfrey.

"Fix her first," Harry said. He gave a steely glare when Madame Pomfrey started to object. "I said, take care of her first. I'll wait until you are done."

Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips, but nodded. Harry moved aside to let her work on Ginny. She began to wave her wand over Ginny, and muttered some diagnostic spells. Her face drained all of its color, and she began to gather numerous potions and called others into help. Harry watched as Madame Pomfrey began to move at a speed that was almost inhuman. He began to get very nervous as her face became more grave and determined.

"Madame Pomfrey? What's happening to her?" Harry asked desperately.

"We're losing her! I NEED MORE HELP!" she shouted out. A couple of other healers that had flooed in from St. Mungo's ran over to assist. Professor McGonagall gently led Harry to the side so the healers could work. She looked at the brave young man before her, but was saddened at what she saw. She could see the light in his eyes fading away, leaving an empty shell.

Harry started to tremble. '_I can't go on without her!_' Harry thought to himself. The doors burst open, with Ron and Hermione charging through the door. They saw Harry, and their faces fell.

"Harry? How is she?" Ron asked. When Harry didn't answer, Ron panicked. He grabbed Harry's robes and shook him. "Harry?! What is happening?! Tell me!"

Hermione stopped Ron from shaking Harry, at which point Harry fell to the floor, tears streaming down his face. She kneeled down and gently put her hand on his shoulders. He looked up and she saw Harry's eyes. Her thoughts were interrupted by Madame Pomfrey walking out from behind the curtains someone had setup. Her face was drawn and pale.

"She will not last the night. I'm sorry," she said as tears spilled down her cheeks. "It's possible she will wake for a few moments, but there was just too much damage done."

"NO!!!" Ron shouted. "There has to be something that can be done! She has to live!"

Hermione bowed her head, and then looked at Harry. She had seen that look on his face before, right after Sirius died. She pulled Harry into a strong embrace and the walls Harry was building around himself fell. Years of sorrow and emotions broke loose. She let him cry, something he had very rarely let himself do. Harry was clutching to her as if she were his lifeline in a raging sea.

Ron stood there, trembling with rage and sorrow. His face twisted in anger. He stormed over to Harry and yanked him from Hermione's grasp.

"YOU LET HER DIE! How could you?! You were supposed to protect her!!" Ron finished his sentence with a sharp punch into Harry's face. Harry did not even respond. He just slumped to the floor, staring at his hands. Hermione pushed Ron back so he could not get to Harry again.

"RON!" Hermione shrieked. She ran over to Harry as soon as someone restrained Ron. She cupped his chin and forced him to look at her.

"It's… It's all my fault…" Harry mumbled. "She is dying because of me…"

"No, Harry," Hermione said. "It's not your f-.." Harry cut her off. His eyes flashed angrily.

"YES. IT. IS! She is laying there dying because of me! I should have stopped the spell! Don't you understand Hermione? Everyone who has died since Voldemort came back is my fault?! I should have not let him come back! I COULD HAVE RESISTED!!

"The woman I love is going to die, and I could have prevented it! Sirius died and I could have stopped that from happening! I could have saved Cedric if I just kept my wits about me! I could have saved Dumbledore if I had drunk that poison! I COULD HAVE STOPPED IT ALL!!!" Harry bellowed. Hermione had tears in her eyes after listening to Harry. She knew he took everything as his fault, but she had no idea it affected him so badly.

They all turned suddenly when they heard a weak voice.

"Harry? Someone?" Ginny had awakened while Harry had been yelling. "Can I see Harry?"

Harry instantly deflated and rushed to her side. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had just walked in the room when Harry was yelling. Mrs. Weasley has a look of shock on her face, and Mr. Weasley was having trouble comprehending what was going on. He has a confused look on his face, as he thought that Harry was overreacting to her condition. Harry was holding Ginny's hand, trying to stop his tears. She whispered something to him, and he looked up to the rest of the room.

"She wants you all over here," he said. "She said she needs to say g-goodbye…" His voice trailed off as it broke and he started to tremble again. He attempt to step back, but Ginny held onto his hand, and would not let him go. The rest of her family crowded around her bed. Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall stepped back to allow them some privacy.

Ginny opened her eyes, and glanced around weakly. She noticed someone was missing.

"Mum, where… Where is Bill?" she whispered.

"Don't you worry dear, Bill is tending to Fleur right now. I'll get him," Mrs. Weasley said. She hurried off for a moment, and quickly hurried back with Bill, who looked confused. Understanding dawned on his face, and he eyes welled up.

Ron threw a quick angry glare at Harry, but Harry ignored it, focusing on the floor. Ginny opened her eyes again, and then started to speak.

"I wanted to say goodbye to all of you. Madame Pomfrey already explained what happened to me, and what is going to happen. I'm glad all of you made it out of this just fine…" She drew a breath to continue. "I know my time here is short, so I will make this quick. George, Fred?" They looked up as they heard their names. "Don't stop running the joke shop. After this is all said and done, a lot of people will need things to make them laugh again. Bill, I'm sorry that I won't be there to see your children when they do arrive."

Bill lost control and started to cry. Fred and George had dimmed expressions on their faces, not wanting to believe that she was really going to die. Ginny took a few ragged breaths before continuing.

"Charlie, find Percy and let him know what happened, and take care of yourself. I will miss our talks we always shared…" She grimaced as a spasm of pain racked her body. "Mum, Dad, please forgive Percy. Life's to short to hold onto petty disagreements… Remember that I went down fighting…

"Ron, please don't blame anyone, especially Harry. I made the choice to do this. I did it for everyone to have another chance…" She took a few more breaths, which were getting weaker by the minute. "Hermione, come over here…" She whispered something into Hermione's ear that brought a fresh round of tears to her eyes. Ginny then looked to Harry.

"Harry… I'm sorry…" she rasped. "I'm sorry that we won't be able to be together…. Please don't blame yourself… I want you to find someone who loves you like I do… I want… you to be happy…" Her breaths were coming in short ragged gasps, and her eyes were drifting closed. "I… love you…all……."

Her hand fell limply out of Harry's hand, and her eyes closed. She took one last breath, and it slowly came out. Harry stared at her with an unreadable expression. Mrs. Weasley broke down into sobs, as the Weasley brothers were crying and holding onto each other. Mr. Weasley stepped back a few steps, and lost his balance falling to the floor screaming. Mrs. Weasley ran around the bed and dropped to the floor, clutching her husband. The sounds of grief were unbearable to Hermione who shut her eyes and sobbed, covering her ears.

Harry stumbled back, dazed from what he was seeing. He bumped into the wall, and slid down until he fell to the floor. He was shaking from head to toe, and his eyes were glazed with tears. He looked down at his hands and the closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Hermione started towards him, but his head shot up suddenly. He stared at her with an intensity that she had never seen before. He stood up and moved to the door.

"No. Don't come near me. Everyone I care about has died. I don't want anyone else to die because of me," he said sternly. His back was facing everyone, but they knew the look he had on his face. "That's why I am leaving."

"NO! Harry please, stay with us!" Hermione yelled.

Ron ran up to Harry and blocked his path. Harry flinched back, expecting another swing to come at him. Ron looked down at his feet, embarrassed that he had done that to his best mate.

"Harry, I know I hit you, but I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! We need you here. Please, mate. Don't leave…" Ron said quietly. Harry sighed and looked down.

"Ron, I'm sorry but I have to. Don't you see? Ginny is dead, and it's because she was close to me. That was what Voldemort's curse did to me. I can't have anyone close because they will get hurt or killed! I WON"T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!" Harry shouted. Ron gasped and dove away from Harry.

Harry started to glow and shake, like he was being electrocuted. He screamed in pain as he lifted off of the ground. Bolts of energy shot out from him as he hovered in mid-air. There was a massive explosion of magic as Harry lost control. All of the bottled up emotion and rage he contained broke free. The windows in the hospital wing exploded outwards, and the ground shook. A wind started to swirl around him as he continued to release energy. Hermione bravely tried to reach out to Harry, in an attempt to calm him down. Harry's screaming trailed off and he stared down at her. He waved his hand and she was rooted into place.

"No Hermione, don't. I have to do this," Harry rasped, his voice strained from the screaming. "Watch over them for me, alright?"

She nodded, and with a loud boom and a brilliant flash of light, Harry was gone.


	3. A Dark Day

**A/N:** Various errors have been corrected. I also made Ron's conversation a bit easier to follow with proper formatting…

**Chapter Two**

**A Dark Day**

Morning broke on the third day after the final battle. Hermione awoke from a troubled sleep, dreading the day. That day they were to bury many people, including Ginny.

She stood over her trunk to get a set of black robes out. Her thoughts drifted back through the last few days. The light side suffered many losses, but the one that affected everyone the most was Harry. Though he did not die, his mind was one of the most serious of casualties. She had found a note written hastily by Harry the night he disappeared.

_Hermione,_

_Please don't try to find me. Hedwig will not be able to find me, so don't send her. Please look after her for me._

_I need to get out of here, and find a place that I can live without hurting anyone else. Now that the war is done, I don't know if there is anything to live for anymore. I need to find out if there is a reason for me to go on, now that Ginny is gone. I know you would try to convince me that it was not my fault, but in a roundabout way, it is. She would not have been there if it weren't for me._

_Watch out for Ron for me. He will need it after I go. Just know that I care for you all too much to put you in harms way again. Someday I might make it back, but I don't know at this point._

_Don't try to contact me, I will contact you._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Hermione looked at the note again, and sighed. What she would not give to get Harry back. She pulled on her robes, deep in thought. Her thoughts once again drifted to Harry. She smiled at the memory of when she had been petrified, and the first person to greet her when she was revived, was Harry.

'_Since when did I start thinking of Harry so much_?' she thought to herself.

'_**Yes you have always been concerned for Harry, but only recently since he took the curse for you while finding the Hufflepuff cup**__…_" a voice in her head said.

Hermione rolled her eyes and answered, '_Oh come off it. Ron would have done the same!_'

'_**Ah, but where was Ron at that time, hmm? He was cowering behind a bookshelf as the boggart took shape!**_' the voice countered.

'_Hmph. Well, there were a lot of curses raining down on us that day! Anyone would have tried to shield themselves._' Hermione retorted.

'_**True, but who was the one who saw you in danger and took the curse?**_' the voice shot back.

Hermione sighed. Now she knew she had been through too much. She was arguing with herself.

She slowly walked down the stairs to the common room, only to find Ron sitting in front of the fire, where he had been most of the time since Ginny died. He had the same blank and void expression that had become his normal demeanor. She cautiously approached Ron, making sure not to startle him.

"Ron? You need to get dressed for the service…" she said in a quiet voice. He looked up at her with an empty expression.

"I know, but I shouldn't have to. She wasn't supposed to die!" he said hotly. He got up and started to rapidly pace in front of the fire. "Things were supposed to turn out differently. Harry should be here, we should be having a party to celebrate his victory. We were all supposed to grow old together, and watch our children play quiddtich here at the school!"

"I know, Ron. But you do need to get dressed. You haven't changed for three days now," Hermione said, hoping she would be able to get him moving. Instead he whirled around and glared at her.

"I KNOW!" he yelled. "I don't need you nagging me to get dressed! What, do you think that we are supposed to be all cheerful? Do you think, 'yeah she died, but you need to move on and get a grip'? WELL I CAN'T!! Nothing will ever be the same now! I won't be the same! But you, you'll always be nagging others around like the know-it-all you think yourself to be!"

"Ron, I–…" she said through her tears, but Ron cut her off.

"NO! Don't even try! You don't know what it's like! Dad won't even talk to anyone, Mum won't stop crying and fussing. George and Fred haven't even smiled at all. Charlie and Bill have been drinking since it happened, and what does that leave me? I get you nagging at me! What, I can't even mourn my sister's death without you telling me how to do it?! Save it Hermione," Ron said coldly.

Hermione stood there, not knowing what to say. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. She calmly walked forward, and laid a hand on his arm.

"Ron, all I was going to say, is that I know you are grieving, and you have to do that in your own way. I know things are different than we hoped they would go, but they didn't. Life is going to change for you and your family, but please don't make it for the worse."

"Hermione, like I said, save it for someone who cares," he said coldly. He jerked his arm away as if she had burned him. "You don't know what it's like…" Ron turned and ran up the stairs to his room and slammed the door.

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and stormed out of the common room. She ran through the corridors and did not stop until she ended up on the lakeshore. She collapsed, sobbing into her hands. She partly understood why Ron reacted the way he did, but she did not expect him to forget she had lost her parents during the previous winter. She knew all too well what it was like.

She felt a gentle hand placed on her shoulder, and looked up to see Remus Lupin.

"What's troubling you, Hermione? I mean besides the obvious," he asked.

She went into a long explanation about what Ron had said. He listened patiently to her story, and nodded when she finished.

"Well, Hermione, I know this is not an easy time, but you have to give Ron some time to work through this. I don't think he meant to forget about your parents, but in a way I think he is so wrapped up in his grief, that he just did not think of it," Remus explained.

They talked for a while, about where they thought Harry had gone, and other subjects. The two eventually got up from sitting by the lake, and walked to the field where the service was to be. All around them, some of the terrain was still scarred from the battle a few days before.

They arrived at the service, and some others were filing in as well. She saw the Weasley family towards the front. Ron glared at her when she walked towards Mrs. Weasley.

"Hermione, dear, would you like to sit with us?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I don't think I should, but I just wanted to see how you all were. I also wanted to thank you for the lovely flowers you sent after my parent's funeral," she said as she glared at Ron. Realization dawned on his face and his face crumpled as he remembered the services. He started to get up to apologize to Hermione, but she waved him to sit back down. She did not think it was the right time for Ron to do this. He sat down with a remorseful look on his face.

Hermione tuned out most of the service, remembering all those who had fallen during the war. When it came time for people to share memories, she found she could not bring herself to say anything. The memories of her parent's deaths were too fresh in her mind, and the tears started to fall. Remus put his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

The service concluded, and a memorial had been created with every name of those who had died during the war. As others cleared out, she slowly walked up to the memorial, and gently traced the names of her parents. When she came to Ginny's name, her tears resurfaced and she sank to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

She felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. At first she thought it was Ron. Then she heard the voice she thought she would never hear again.

"Give it time, Hermione. I will be back, but not yet. Stay strong, and watch for my return," Harry said.

Her head shot up and she spun around to see Harry there, but everyone else was gone. She looked up into his bright green eyes, and saw the pain in them. A moment later, he was gone.

"Harry…" she whispered. Then she saw an envelope in her lap. It had her name on it, and it said to open it in private. She hastily stuffed the envelope into her pocket when she saw Ron coming out to talk to her. She stood up and wiped her eyes, waiting for Ron to approach.

"Hermione, I am so sorry for what I said. I completely forgot about your parents… I guess you do know…" he said. He furiously wiped at his eyes. "I just lost my temper earlier, and I know I can never make it up to you." Hermione sighed.

"Ron, I know you are hurting. I was just trying to make sure you had enough time to prepare for the service. I would never want you to forget about Ginny. I know I will never be able to…" she trailed off.

Ron nodded, and then his face fell.

"I can't believe that Harry wasn't here! I mean, after all, he was her boyfriend! Wouldn't a boyfriend want to attend his girlfriend's funeral?!" he said frustratedly. "I don't care how much he's hurting, but he should have been here! We could have helped him get through this…"

"Ron, did you ever think that he might have been here, but not want the attention? What, would you want some nosy reporter coming up to you asking '_How do you feel after your girlfriend's death and Voldemort's destruction_'? Would you want hundreds of people crawling all over you just to get a handshake or something? I'm sure he would be worse off, especially after all he has been through the last few years!" Hermione yelled. Ron started to say something, but Hermione cut him off. "No, Ronald. Don't. You have been Harry's best friend for years, but you were always still jealous of him. Whether it was about girls he was going out with, the whole Tri-Wizard issue, and many other things! You always held that in the back of your mind. You were jealous that he had so much money and fame when all he wanted was someone he could call mum or dad! All he wanted was a family!"

Ron wisely stayed silent and let her finish.

"I can't believe you would turn on him especially after this! You know how he felt about Ginny! I know he would not miss this! And for why he probably didn't face your family is because HE CAN'T! He is probably under the impression that if he had not been with Ginny, she would not have died! I bet he feels that he has destroyed your family just because he loved her and all of you. He probably feels that he has nothing to live for since this happened. He probably thinks that your family would abandon him over what happened." Ron looked at her sighed.

"I know Mum would never allow that to happen. You know I could never do that either," Ron said quietly. "Harry has been my best mate for seven years now. I could never turn my back on him. I can't speak for the others, but I know I will never give up on him."

Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He saw that Hermione was still a bit worked up.

"Yeah, I know I hit him, but I was not thinking straight. I know my temper gets the best of me a lot of the time. Which brings me to this…" he said as he took a deep breath to steel himself for this. "Hermione, I think it might be best if we weren't together anymore." He held up his hand when she started to speak. He had to finish what he had to say.

"I know what you are going to say. You think we need to sit down and talk about this. Well, I have been thinking about it a lot over the last couple of days. I still am planning on going into the Auror program. I don't want you to get a message one night that my temper got me killed on a mission. I couldn't do that to you. You deserve better than that. You deserve a better man, who will be home every night, and who can control himself better. Because I know, that when I go on mission, I will be doing this for Ginny, and I know I will probably lose control here and there. I can't put you through that. We can still be best friends, but I can't do more than that."

Hermione stood there with her mouth hanging open. She didn't know what to say or think.

"I'm leaving tomorrow for the Auror program, and I won't be back for a while. I'll write to you, and if I can sometime, drop by for a visit. Don't try to change my mind, 'Mione. It won't work," Ron said. He walked closer to her, and pulled her into a gentle hug. He placed a quick kiss on her forehead. He backed up and held her at arms length. "Keep in touch, and don't forget to nag me on my class work when you can."

He released her arms, and gave her a half smile. He turned and walked back to the castle, leaving her alone. She couldn't believe what was happening. First Harry leaves, then Ron. She had no one left. Tears crept down her cheeks, watching Ron walk away from her. She felt an invisible finger brush her cheek, wiping the tears away. She heard a whisper.

"Don't forget about the letter," the voice said sadly. She knew it was Harry, and that he had watched the whole exchange between her and Ron.

"Harry, promise me that you will come back," she said aloud. "Please, come back to me." She heard the whispered voice once more.

"Perhaps, in time," Harry whispered. She heard a soft pop, and knew he was gone. She slowly walked back to the castle, her mind reeling from the day's events. She was lost, unsure of what to do. She had always known what to do, but now her mind was too confused to put a coherent plan together. She had no home, no friends left by her side, and her boyfriend had left her.

Hermione ignored the people trying to talk to her, and made her way to the Griffyndor common room. She climbed the stairs, and locked her door with a spell. She sat on the edge of her bed, thinking. She had enough money left to her by her parents, that she could get a flat somewhere. She looked around the room that had been her home for the last seven years. She had graduated at the top of her class, and had her choice of careers available to her.

She laid there on her bed for what seemed like hours. Silent tears fell from her eyes until there were no more tears left. Hermione finally got up from the bed and started to change out of her black robes. As she tossed them to the bed, Harry's letter fell out. She picked up the envelope, and sat down at her desk. Her hands shook a little as she opened the letter.

_Hermione,_

_I find it difficult to figure out how to write this. There are so many things running through my head, and I don't know where to begin._

_There is this hole inside of me. It's like part of me has been carved out and the hurt is unimaginable. I don't know if it will ever be filled again. Ginny was my life, as far as I could see. Now that she's gone, I can't figure out how to live. I know Ron is probably still furious with me and the rest of the family as well. I let them down. Because of my involvement with Ginny, it ended up with her getting killed. I know that you would tell me it was not my fault, but in a way, it is. Because I was destined to defeat Tom, her relationship with me put her in the crossfire of the whole conflict. Because I had to fight, she was right there with me. Because of the love we shared, it gave me the power to defeat him. I wish things had turned out different, but fate must have it in for me. Maybe someday I will be able to outwit fate and be a better person._

_I did write Ron a short letter apologizing, but I bet he will tear up the letter and he will hate me for a long time. I hope in time he can somewhat forgive me, as I also need to forgive myself. _

_I want to thank you for all of the times you believed in me and stood by me. You understand me better than anyone. You have been a true friend through everything. You helped me when everyone else turned their back on me. For that, I can never thank you enough. Promise me that will never change, no matter what happens down the road._

_This brings me to the point of this letter. I feel I need to see if there is anything out there for me after training to defeat him. I need to know if I can find anything to live for after my soul has been ripped apart. I can practically hear you thinking right now, 'Oh Harry, there is so much to live for. You have Ron, his family, and myself'. I know that would help a bit, but I need to find something I can do to heal myself. I need to find the true purpose in my life. I need to find out if I am good for anything else but being a weapon. I need some time to, as cliché as it sounds, to 'find myself'. _

_I will try to write from time to time, and please, watch over Ron. I know he is going to need it. I bet he will still go into the Auror program. The only problem is, he will fuel his drive to work as an Auror with Ginny's death. I'm afraid he will push things too far one day, and end up getting seriously hurt or even killed. Please try to keep him centered. His thirst for revenge over Ginny's death will hollow him out. Trust me; I know what that feels like now._

_Please do not try to track me down. I need time to clear my head and to find out if I have a truly valuable place in this world. I might send you something down the road with a way that we can contact each other, but I'm not sure yet. _

_I hope you can forgive me for leaving like this. I'll try to write soon._

_With love,_

_Harry_

Her eyes were filled with tears as she finished reading the letter. She looked over it again, and noticed the dried tear drops that must have fallen from Harry's eyes as he wrote it. She carefully folded the letter and pressed it to her chest, and let her tears fall.

ooo

Ron returned to his room to start packing. He noticed a letter addressed to him on his desk. He immediately recognized Harry's hand writing, and tore open the letter.

_Ron,_

_I know I am probably the last person you would want to hear from right now. I want you to know how sorry I am. Trust me when I say that I know how you feel. _

_I'm betting that you are still furious with me. And you have good reason to. Because of my relationship with her, she is now dead. I hope that my mum, dad, Sirius, and Albus will welcome her and take care of her._

_Please, try to keep your sense of revenge in check. I fear it will get the better of you one day. Then, because of my selfishness, our family will have lost three of their children. I could not bear that. So please, if you have any hope for our friendship down the road, take good care of yourself and don't do something rash._

_I am going away for a long time. I know we said we would go into the Auror program together, but I can't take anymore of hunting down dark wizards. It has caused nothing but pain for me. I already have blood on my hands, and it will take a very long time to try and seek redemption for all the death I have caused through my actions or inaction._

_If you ever do forgive me, send a message with Dobby. I know that where ever I go, he will most likely know how to find me. But he is under strict orders not to reveal to anyone how to track me down. So don't even try. Also, please don't tell Hermione about Dobby. She would try something to track me down. As of right now, I will be a ghost. I'll see everything, but no one will see me._

_Please, take care of your mum and dad. Tell them that I am forever regretful of taking their little girl away._

_Hopefully someday your Best Mate again,_

_Harry_

Ron bowed his head and wept bitterly. He didn't know how long he stayed that way until he felt a pair of arms circle his shoulders from behind. He recognized Hermione's soft whispers, and they sat together and cried. Ron felt like such a fool. He had turned on Harry when Harry needed him the most. He felt like he was the worst friend in the world. He vowed to himself that he would make it up to Harry as soon as he could.

Ron and Hermione finally broke apart. Hermione spoke first after several minutes of silence.

"Ron, is there anything I can do?" she asked quietly. Ron shook his head.

"No, Hermione. There isn't. I'm going to go and pass Harry's message on to my family," Ron said quietly. He took a few steps and then turned around and faced Hermione. "I've been such a wanker towards Harry. How can he be so forgiving of others, and not to himself? I don't deserve a friend like him."

"None of us deserve a friend like Harry, but that's just the way it is. Just remember that Harry has forgiven you for the other night. I guess that it will take a while, but you need to forgive yourself for the way you acted towards him. It won't be easy. Just look at what Harry wrote. He needs to do the same thing for himself," Hermione explained.

Ron just nodded as he stared at the floor wondering if Harry would make it through everything. Ron hoped this would be the last difficult thing that Harry would have to get past.


	4. Of Mysteries and Apprentices

**A/N:** A few minor typos were fixed in this chapter…

**Chapter Three**

**Of Mysteries and Apprentices**

The following year was difficult for everyone in the wizarding world. At first, there were massive celebrations held in every major wizarding settlement in the world, but then the reality of the situation began to sink in. Many people had been killed from both sides. Families were shattered as some found out which side the dead had fought on. Families who had supported Voldemort found that they had lost a few members to the light side, and had died fighting against their own family. A few of the more prominent families who had always supported Dumbledore's cause found a few traitors among the dead and wounded Death Eaters.

The Weasley family, including Percy, had led the recovery efforts by assisting in repairing and rebuilding homes and businesses that were affected by Voldemort's reign of terror. Arthur Weasley had been promoted in the Ministry of Magic to a Section Director, which included muggle relations and wizarding services. With the extra money he made from the promotion, he and Molly started a foundation for orphaned children whom had lost their parents in the war. Molly kept herself busy working with the _Weasley Children's Shelter_, in Ginny's honor.

Ron had passed his first year of Auror training with some of the best marks they had seen. He was at the top of his class, and was well liked by the entire group of Aurors that were training him. He was finally making his own mark in the world, and many times he had been called in to assist with the strategy and tactics section of the training. He dated here and there, but had never let it get too serious, as he thought that his job was too risky and unpredictable to have a stable relationship.

Hermione ended up working for the Department of Mysteries, especially since her strongest point was researching and finding the solutions to previously impossible problems. She never was seen dating anyone, and she was rarely seen without her nose in a book, working late. The Weasley family worried for her, hoping she would not lose herself in her work. Hermione missed Harry terribly, and used her work as an excuse to keep her mind occupied.

No one had heard from Harry since he had disappeared, not even Hermione or Ron. Many people had different theories on what he was doing, and even some that his wounds were too great and he had died. Occasionally, there were miscellaneous sightings, but no one could verify it was Harry, as they would be too far away from who they thought was Harry, or that the person would move so quickly and disappear without a trace. The Ministry of Magic had set aside numerous awards for him. But that did not seem to matter to him as he never stepped forward to claim them. Hermione understood why. Harry would despise any award that would remind him of that day.

George and Fred's shop was one of the most successful businesses in recent history. True to Ginny's last comments, their shop was always busy and they sold so many products, that they had to hire several new employees to keep up with the demand. They had also donated an obscene amount of money to the rebuilding effort and the Ginny's foundation. They would also bring a large amount of the most harmless products from their store, and donated it to the foundation for the children to play with every few months.

The school had been repaired almost immediately by the resident house elves following the battle. The school had reconvened by the proper start of term; however there were a couple of new teachers. Oliver Wood had replaced the position of flying instructor, as Madam Hooch had sustained devastating injuries during the final battle, and had to retire. Professor Sinistra had perished in the battle. They had offered the teaching position to Hermione, but she turned it down.

ooo

Hermione was slowly descending into a depression. Sure, she had her work, but things just were not the same. Ron was in training and hardly had time to even write. She had received a few letters, but they were few and far between. She had been asked out a few times, but she had politely said no to each one that had asked. One had even asked why, and she just said that she did not have the time for it. She made excuses like work was really taking up her time, or that she had a function she was about to attend. The truth of the matter was that she was completely miserable. With her family gone, Ron hardly writing due to his busy schedule, and that Harry was nowhere to be found, Hermione felt truly alone. She kept her despair behind a thick mental barrier, and never let it show. If the barrier cracked, it would all come out and consume her mind. She had to meditate every night to keep the walls up; otherwise all of the grief and despair would break free and destroy her. So she busied herself with her work to keep her mind off of things.

Her projects had been intense at the Department of Mysteries, but her true passion was working on the Veil. She had researched everything there was written on it, as well as very carefully inspecting the runes on the arch. Occasionally she would hear some whispering from it, but she had firmly ignored it, as she knew it could lead to her walking through it.

She had a close call one night as she was copying down the runes. The runes were in an ancient form, and she was preparing to study them to see if she could decipher them. She had turned a little too fast and her cloak had partially gone into the veil. Before she could move, it felt like someone grabbed her cloak and was pulling her in. She instantly screamed and dropped to the floor and hung onto the pedestal stairs as hard as she could. Her grip was pulled loose from the steps, and she was slowly sliding towards the Veil. She managed to get the brooch holding the cloak loose in time to see her cloak pulled right into the veil. Suddenly, she heard a howl of despair come from the Veil. She swore it sounded like Sirius crying out, but it was soon drowned out by many other howls and yells. She pressed her hands to her ears as the noise grew to a deafening roar, then suddenly it stopped. She opened her eyes and slowly uncovered her ears. She heard a quiet whisper floating through the air. She could not make out what it was saying, and she turned and ran from the room. She did not stop until she reached her office. Slamming the door, and leaning her back against it, she sat there and tried to catch her breath, trembling with fear.

After about a half an hour, she slowly got up and sat behind her desk. Only then did she realize that her wand had been in the pocket in her cloak. Frustrated, she dropped her head onto her desk with a resounding thump. She kept thumping her head on her desk until she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," she said tiredly. She looked up saw who entered her office. She groaned and her head went back down to her desk and she started thumping her head again. Her boss, Gavin Frost, slapped his hand to his mouth to keep from laughing. He sat down in front of her desk.

"Ms. Granger, why on earth are you doing that?" he half chuckled. She let her head hit one more time, and let out a muffled groan of frustration. She lifted her head and rested it in her hands as she looked at him.

"Because I have got to be the dumbest smart person I know," she sighed. Gavin burst into a gale of laughter at that comment. She merely scowled at him.

"My goodness, I haven't had a good laugh for a while. I thank you."

"Sir, may I –" she started to say, When she saw his glare of annoyance, she corrected herself. "Sorry, Gavin. May I have tomorrow off? I, uh, needtogetanewwand…"

"I'm sorry, Hermione, what did you say?" he asked curiously. She sighed and let her head hit one more time onto her desk and talked through the papers on her desk.

"I need to get a new wand, Gavin," she said pitifully. She looked up to see Gavin covering his mouth shaking with laughter. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"MY GOODNESS! Did you sit on it or something?" he chortled. He immediately stopped laughing when her face went white and she started to shake. He quickly got up and circled her desk and put his hand on her shoulder. "Ms. Granger?" He got no response from her. "Hermione?"

"It was horrible Gavin. I was working on copying the runes on the archway on the Veil, and I don't know how, but my cloak somehow went a bit into the Veil. Gavin, something or _someone_ grabbed onto it. I was almost pulled in. I got the cloak undone, and then there was this horrible noise and yelling from the Veil. I think something wanted to drag me in there," she explained quietly.

Gavin pulled her into a fatherly hug. He knew that she had no one to really support her since her parents had been killed two years prior, and that her two best friends were not available. He cared for her like a daughter, and was always trying to get her to step out of the self-destructive trend she had been in for a while now.

"Of course you can have the day off, Hermione. I'll keep the wand issue out of the report, but from now on, you must have another person with you when you get the time to work on the Veil again." He held up his hand when she started to protest. "You are not going to convince me otherwise. This is not open for any debate. Am I clear?"

Hermione sighed and nodded. She knew it was no use to argue with Gavin, as he was as stubborn as she was and they would be arguing about it all night.

"Now, go home and rest. You look like you could use it. Take tomorrow and the following day, so you can get used to your new wand," he said. "I don't want to see you until Thursday. I mean it!" he finished as she looked ready to argue again. She just rolled her eyes and nodded.

Hermione arrived into Mr. Ollivander's shop bright and early the next morning. After he recited her old wand statistics, and asked how it had been working, she explained what had happened and apologized for losing her wand.

"Nonsense my dear, I have refitted many people for replacement wands more times than I would care to remember. Now, let me see… Ah! Try this one. Ten inches, mahogany and veela hair. Quite bendy," Mr. Ollivander said.

She gave it a wave and nothing happened. He took the wand back and went to gather another couple of possibilities. He returned with three boxes. It seemed yew and dragon heartstring, maple and unicorn hair, and oak with a sphinx hair did not suit her as well. While he was mumbling and sorting through more boxes, an owl arrived with a large parcel. He walked to the counter and took the package, giving the owl a sack of galleons. The owl immediately took off.

Hermione felt a strange pull to one of the smaller boxes that he took out of the large one.

"Mr. Ollivander, excuse me, but may I?" she asked pointing to the box that seemed to be calling out to her. He nodded and he gently opened the box. He took the box and handed her the wand. She rose off of the ground, glowing with a gold aura, and a wave of warm air rushed through the store and surrounded her. Her eyes were glowing and she had a shocked look on her face. After a few moments, she gently touched back down to the floor, staring at the wand. She ran her fingers over it and smiled. She thought she heard it singing to her. The song sounded like phoenix song.

"My word! I have only seen one other wand react to a witch or wizard that way! Impressive. It seems my apprentice surely knows his skills by now," Mr. Ollivander said with a slight smile. "You and this wand will do very impressive things."

She lifted her eyes to Mr. Ollivander's piercing eyes.

"Sir? May I ask who this other witch or wizard was? And also who is your apprentice?"

"Well, to answer your first question, the late and great Albus Dumbledore was the last one to have this reaction that I know of. And for your other question, I'm afraid I cannot answer that one. He would rather keep to himself."

"Well, could you tell me what is in this wand?" Hermione asked.

"Hmmm… Interesting combination. Redwood with a phoenix feather and dragon heartstring together. Very interesting… A very powerful combination." he said after looking at the writing that was on the packing list. "A dual core wand. I have not seen one for many years, as my grandfather was the last person capable of creating one."

"In any case, please let your apprentice know that this wand is incredible!" she exclaimed, excited at having a dual core wand. She left ten galleons on the counter and left the store. Mr. Ollivander quickly wrote a note to his apprentice explaining who received the wand. He ran to the fireplace, used a pinch of floo powder, and said the location. Moments later, the letter was delivered to the destination.

A day later, when the letter had been read, the maker of the wand was very impressed, as he had been hoping that his experiment had been a success. He had been sure that it would have been years before he knew, but the wand had only been finished three days before he received this letter. He would keep a closer eye on Hermione Granger in the future.


	5. A Veiled Threat

**A/N:** Updated a few spelling errors here as well… I need to proofread these better, methinks….

**Chapter Four**

**A Veiled Threat**

Hermione breezed into work two days after she had been to Ollivander's. The previous day she had been working with the wand, and was amazed on how fast she became used to it. She felt better than she had for a long time. She was quietly humming to herself and smiling when Gavin entered her office.

"Well, I see that the two day holiday went well for you," Gavin said. "So, what are you so happy about?"

Hermione smiled to herself and recalled the previous day. The spells she had cast required only about a quarter of the concentration she needed with her old wand. Simple levitation charms had resulted in her slamming her couch into the ceiling. Her flat had been fairly messed up while she was experimenting. She had gone to a remote field and practiced the wand there, until she could figure out how to control how much effort she put into her spells. The one spell she did not tone down however, was her _patronus_ charm. The resulting otter that jumped from the wand, actually made some footprints in the grass as it bounded about. She returned to her flat that night and repaired everything in record time.

"My new wand, Gavin, is what has me so chipper today. I can't believe how much easier it is to cast with it. It's like I found a long lost friend. The strangest thing is, I hear phoenix song when I cast with it," she said.

"Well, may I see it?" Gavin asked. She held out her wand and he reached for it. When his hand touched it, it felt like he had grabbed a red hot piece of metal. He dropped it straight away, and glared at it. "It seems to only like you Ms, Granger."

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Here, let me see your hand," she said. Gavin's hand looked like it had been in contact with a hotplate. He had blisters forming already, and it was starting to ache. "Let me try to heal it."

She picked up her wand and aimed it at his hand. She muttered the basic healing charm she knew, but nothing happened. He raised his eyebrow at her, and she seemed to be staring at her wand, almost like she was convincing it to work. Finally, after a few moments, she aimed again, and this time a beam of magic hit his hand, and he felt instant relief.

"I'm so sorry Gavin. I guess…" she started to say. She looked up at Gavin and blushed a bit. "You will probably think I am nutters."

"Hermione," he started to say as he put his hands on her shoulders. "We work in the Department of Mysteries. Nutters and weird things are our job. I would like to think I would have an open mind."

Hermione blushed a bit, and nodded. How could she say this? How could she explain that the wand basically would not do anything to help him unless she promised it that he was a friend?

"I think the wand is partially sentient. You see, it has two cores. A phoenix feather and a dragon heartstring. I don't know how this is possible, as Mr. Ollivander said that the last known wand maker that could successfully utilize two cores when constructing a wand was his grandfather. Believe it or not, this is the product of an apprentice!" she explained. "I guess it is rather protective of me."

Gavin snapped out of his gaping stupor. His mind reeled with the possibilities. If this apprentice came to work for the Department of Mysteries, it might be a godsend. He would put this person in a team with Hermione, and he was practically salivating at what could be accomplished. His train of thought was halted when Hermione was waving her hand in front of his face.

"Gavin? Are you alright?" Hermione asked, her eyes full of concern. He nodded and cleared his throat.

"Yes, Hermione. I'm just dandy. I was thinking, what are the chances of meeting this person who made your wand? I was just thinking of what could be accomplished with you and this apprentice in a team together," he said. Hermione sighed.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Ollivander would not give me the man's name," she explained.

"Yet another mystery for us to unravel, hmm?" Gavin asked. Hermione rolled her eyes and silently mouthed his exact words.

"Gavin, would you please come up with a better phrase? And by the way; what's with this putting me into a team? You're not happy with my work?" she said feigning a hurt look. Gavin laughed at that look she had on her face.

"No, Hermione. I meant that with the two of you on a case, it would be unraveled in no time flat," he reassured her. He started to get up to get back to his cases he was working on. "Oh, I guessed that you would want to get back to working on the Veil. I have assigned an Auror trainee to watch over you while you work on it."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation, but she nodded anyways. As long as she was able to work on it, she did not have a problem with someone watching over her. Gavin said goodbye and went back to his office, instructing her to wait for the Auror trainee to arrive. Just as she had finished gathering her parchment and other items together, there was a knock on her door. She opened the door and her heart leapt. She threw her arms around Ron's neck and smothered him in a bear hug.

"Hello to you too Hermione," Ron laughed. "Guess what? I'm your bodyguard for today!"

Hermione scowled at that comment. She fixed her stern glare at Ron, and he visibly gulped. His hands started sweating and he suddenly found the ground very interesting, knowing that Hermione too offense when someone insinuated that she could not take care of herself.

"Ronald Weasley!" she said darkly. She was really enjoying watching him squirm like he was facing one of his mother's howlers. "If you think you are getting away with not writing to me, you have another thing coming!"

Ron visibly relaxed when she said that. He was almost expecting a curse to be thrown his way for his comment. He smiled and reached into his robes. He pulled out a package, and handed it to her. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he just shrugged. She took the package and began to open it.

"I missed your birthday, so I thought I would make it up to you," he said. She finished opening the box and stared at the item he had given her. She looked sharply at him, and he looked down at his feet. "Gavin had to tell me everything. So I thought I would make it so the issue never happened again. That is a standard issue Auror wrist holster. This way, you won't have your wand in your cloak. Also, it has anti-summoning charms on it, so no one can take your wand if it is in the holster."

Hermione smiled at the thoughtful gesture. But then her face darkened quickly, and she fixed a steely look at Ron. 

"If you breathe a word of the real reason I got a new wand," she started to say. He held up his hand and gently stopped her.

"Trust me Hermione, I won't tell a soul about it. You have my word on that," Ron said.

Hermione sighed. They made their way to the chamber that held the Veil. She was a bit jittery to be this close to the Veil, especially after what happened. With Ron being there as well, bad memories flooded her mind of what happened there in their fifth year. Ron's voice snapped her back to reality.

"It's so creepy being in here, especially after when—" Ron started to say, but he was silenced by Hermione.

"Ron, please don't bring that up. I have to keep focused, and if you start talking about it again, we might as well leave since I can't be in here alone anymore. So just let me work, and keep an eye on me. I don't know exactly what happened last time. All I know that is if I start to get pulled in again, you better drag me back," she said. Ron nodded his head and drew his wand, staring at the Veil.

Hermione took the next two hours and finished copying the runes she had been working on. She was just finishing when the howling started again. Her eyes grew wide and she scrambled back, stumbling down the stairs. Ron was at her side in a second, his wand trained on the Veil. Hermione pressed her hands to her ears, yelling at the howling to stop, but it only grew to a painful volume. Ron looked at her nervously, as she noticed he seemed to not hear it. He dragged her back and tried to cast a silencing charm on the Veil. Hermione shook her head to answer his questioning look if it stopped or not. Ron then rounded on her and cast a spell she could not hear over the howling. She tried to dodge it, thinking he was out of his mind, but he was too fast. The last thing she saw was a red burst of light hitting her in the chest, and her world faded to black.

She woke sometime later, and took in her surroundings. She was not where she was before, so she reached for her wand in the wrist holster, and sat up quickly. Ron was standing with his back to her, apparently keeping guard over her. He whipped around with his wand drawn and lowered it when he saw it was just Hermione stirring. He looked relieved to see her awake. She slowly lowered her wand, looking at Ron with a questioning look on her face.

Ron walked over to her bed and reached for a pad of paper. He started writing something down. It was then that Hermione realized that she could not hear the quill scratching on the parchment. She looked around in a panic and started to get out of the bed quickly. Ron put his hand gently on her shoulder and slowly pushed her back down. He handed her the parchment after he finished writing. She looked down at the note, and her eyes welled up with tears as she read it.

_Hermione, I am _REALLY _sorry I had to stun you. But when the silencing charm did not work, I turned around to find your ears bleeding. You nose was also starting to bleed, so I took the most effective action to stop the noise you were hearing. I had to shut you down as fast as possible. The healers say that your hearing will return in a few weeks, as they had to almost completely rebuild your eardrums. I don't know what you heard, but I know it was hurting you, so I had to do something fast. The healers said that if I hadn't stunned you, you could be dead. They said the sound was overloading your hearing and it was starting to affect your brain as well. I hope you are not mad at me._

Hermione threw the note down and grabbed him into a big hug. Ron patted her back and stroked her hair while she cried. He pulled away after she had calmed down a bit, and handed her a potion. She recognized the light sleeping potion by the color of the liquid inside on the vial. She drank it fast and made a face at the taste. Ron settled her back down and she drifted off to sleep. Ron stayed and watched over her until he was confident she would be alright.

Hermione's hearing returned almost three weeks after the incident. She returned to her office to the sound of applause. When she reached Gavin's office, she had been patted on the back and she had received many well wishes from people she hardly knew. She closed his door and turned around to see a big smile on his face.

"Hermione, welcome back!" he said as he got up and rushed to her and pulling her into a crushing fatherly hug. "We were so worried when Ron came out of the Veil's chamber screaming for help. Now that you have healed, can you tell me what happened?"

Hermione bit her lower lip a bit as she reflected on the thoughts that had consumed her mind while she was recovering. She remembered that it had started when she copied the runes down. The only thing that did not fit was that she had not copied all of them down. Most of the previous people who had worked on the Veil had used a wizarding camera to capture the runes to study them. But Hermione liked to copy them down on parchment, to practice writing runes.

"I think that since I copied the runes down by hand, that is what triggered what happened. I'm not sure what the runes mean, as they are pretty old and obscure. I would need to translate the half that I wrote down before I know what caused this," she explained. "To be honest, I suspect that the runes, when fully written or said out loud, will trigger the Veil to do something. What it'll do, I don't know. But I would like to find out."

Gavin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose looking down at his desk. He didn't want Hermione to be exposed to that again, but he did not have another person that could translate the runes as well as she could. He knew from her records at Hogwarts and from her work at the Department, that she would not stop until she had translated the runes to absolute perfection a few times before she was convinced she did it correctly. He nodded to himself and stood up in front of his desk, and looked at Hermione sternly.

"Very well. You can work on what you have right now, and use the previous photos of the Veil to get the other half of the runes and get them translated before you even set foot in that room again. Bodyguard of not, the chamber is off limits to you for the time being," he said roughly. She made a protesting huff, but he cut her off sharply. "No. That is my final word on this issue. I will not risk one of the Department's best people just to translate some runes. When you have translated them all, we will make a decision at that time."

Hermione looked at him angrily, frustrated that he was being so protective. They argued over his decision for about an hour. Other department employees were looking at the door to Gavin's office nervously while the argument got a bit heated. They all jumped when Gavin's office door slammed open and Hermione stormed out of the department muttering under her breath. Gavin stepped out, and leaned on his doorframe heavily.

"That woman is going to get the better of me one of these days. I just hope it's not sooner rather than later," he muttered. "Alright everyone, show's over. Back to it."

Hermione stomped out of the ministry's front gate fuming with anger. She knew that Gavin watched out for her like a daughter, but he had gone a bit too far with the latest Veil incident. '_After all, I came out just fine after a bit of a rest!_' Hermione thought to herself. Before she knew it she had ended up at the back entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. She tapped the bricks with her wand in the certain pattern that was needed and entered the pub. She plopped down on a stool at the bar and covered her face with her hands.

"What'll it be?" she heard a voice say. She ordered a butterbeer, and took a good drink of it. "Rough day at work?"

She looked up at Tom, the same bartender that had been there when she had first come into the magical world. She nodded and downed the rest of the butterbeer. She ordered another and slowly sipped that one. She explained quickly what was bothering her to Tom. They chatted for a while, eventually drifting off of the subject. He was helping another customer, when she noticed someone sat down next to her.

"Hermione, I overheard what you two were talking about at first," Ron said. He cautiously looked over at her to see her in deep thought. "I know you might hex me, but I agree with Gavin. I know you don't want to hear that, but I remember that day when you got hurt. I never want that to happen to you again." Hermione huffed at that comment, as her eyes flashed. Ron audibly gulped at her response, and braced himself.

"So, just because I got hurt once down there, I'm just a little girl who can't watch out for herself?! Honestly, you don't trust me to be able to handle whatever may happen? I'll have you know, that I think you two are just way too overprotective. You two don't understand that to know what it is requires a certain bit of danger. I know you remember that day when we first saw it!" Hermione said hotly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to a private table!"

She stood up from the stool suddenly, and it clattered to the floor. Hermione cursed under her breath and angrily shoved it back into place. Ron was still staring at the bar, thinking about what she said. He followed her over after ordering a drink from Tom. He plopped himself down and she did not even look at him. He sighed loudly and set his drink down. He looked down at the table and slowly rubbed his palms together, clearly trying to think of something to respond with that would not anger Hermione more than she was.

He opened his mouth and started to say something when she cut him off.

"Don't Ronald. I know you are just trying to smooth me over, but I don't want that right now. I just want to be left alone for the night. Let me think about things, and we can continue tomorrow," she said with a slight edge to her voice. "Just let me be for now, and I will talk with you tomorrow."

Ron bowed his head for a moment, and silently left her alone. Hermione sat there mentally berating herself for yelling at Gavin and Ron. She knew they were just watching out for her, and she was glad they were, but on the other hand, they were interfering with her work. She thought things over for several hours. She finally noticed that Tom was getting ready to close up for the night, and realized she had not touched her drink. Without thinking, she grabbed the nearest glass, and finished it. She regretted do this in an instant, when she felt her throat burn like it was on fire. She coughed and sputtered, falling off of the chair. Tom was at her side in a flash, helping her back up. He lifted the glass she had drunk from, and sniffed it to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. His eyes widened as he placed the scent in a second. He looked down at Hermione and noticed her starting to get a bit off balance.

"Ms. Granger, did you have anything to eat recently?" he asked. She looked at him with a bit of a goofy smirk and lazily shook her head. He sighed and set the glass down. He was about to help her to a room, when the doorway from muggle London opened. He gently let her sit down as she started to giggle and waver. "Sorry, young sir, but we are closing down for the night."

The cloaked stranger walked swiftly towards them, and Tom tried to stand in the stranger's way as the mysterious man made a bee line for Hermione. Tom was quickly and gently pushed back by a spell he did not know and the stranger quickly gathered a positively smashed and dizzy Hermione.

"Now sir! You can't just waltz right up and take strangers from a bar! Ease her down, or I shall call the Aurors on you," Tom said threateningly. The stranger gently lifted Hermione in his arms like she was made of air. The stranger slowly turned around at stared straight at Tom. Tom was frightened and worried for Hermione. She was still giggling and trying to pull the stranger's hood off, but the man kept her at bay while he stared Tom down. "Put her down, and leave quietly." A deep and powerful voice answered him.

"I am just taking her home," the stranger said.

"Right, and I'm the bloody Minister of Magic. Un-hand her sir, or you will be spending the next few night at the hands of the Aurors. I know for a fact that she has a close friend that is an Auror," Tom said.

"I have no wish to fight you, Tom," the stranger said with a hint or warning in his voice. Tom shivered at the sudden burst of power that emanated off of the man. "I saw what happened. She grabbed the wrong glass and drank an entire glass of firewhiskey. She will be more comfortable at her home." Tom stood in the stranger's way again, and squared his shoulders.

"There is no way you will take her out of here, and do who knows what to her. This is my last warning. Put. Her. Down."

The man just sighed, and shook his head. He stepped forward again, and Tom swung his fist at the stranger. His fist did not connect, and his swing was stopped by a solid magical shield. He gasped as Hermione finally managed to get the stranger's hood down. There, standing right in front of Tom, was a legend.

"Mr. Pot—" Tom started to say when a silencing spell hit him within a second.

"Not a word!" Harry hissed. "You don't know who is listening!"

Tom nodded mutely as he felt the spell release. Tom rushed over to Harry, and started to apologize. Harry waved him off.

"Not a word to anyone, Tom. No one can know I was here, let alone in contact with Hermione," Harry whispered, frustrated that Hermione has blown his cover. He slipped Tom a few galleons, after obtaining Tom's promise that he would keep this quiet. Tom put Harry's hood back up and opened the door. Harry nodded mutely, and he walked quickly down the street. Tom shut the door after he could not see him anymore due to it being dark and Harry's black cloak seemed to disappear into the shadows.

ooo

Hermione woke up with her head pounding. She cringed at the sunlight coming through her windows, and stumbled her way into the bathroom. She noticed she was still in her clothes the she had on the previous day. She could not remember how she had gotten home; let alone what happened the night before. She had a vague memory of a dark cloaked stranger. She had just left the bathroom when she noticed a note under a vial of potion. She picked up the note, and read it.

_Hermione,_

_This potion might be useful after you wake this morning. Do try to stay away from Ogden's best from now on, or at least eat something before you have some. _

_Oh and by the way, you are pretty cute when you are smashed._

_H._

Hermione gasped when she finished reading the note. Harry had been there! '_I was drunk? But how did that happen?_' she thought to herself. Realization hit her as she thought back on the previous night. '_Ron's drink! I can't believe that I did that!_' she screamed in her mind. She eyed the potion before taking the stopper out and downed the potion. She looked at the vial as her head cleared. She smiled at the thoughtful gesture. She would have to thank Harry when she finally saw him again. She walked back into the bathroom to shower, and looked into the mirror. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Her hair was pink! She looked down at the vial and saw a small sticker on the bottom. She held it up close and saw Harry's writing.

_GOTCHA!!!_

Her eyes flashed, and she clenched her fists. Her temper flared, and some of her trinkets rattled back and forth. She threw the vial against the wall. '_Harry is so going to get it when I get my hands on him!_' She forced herself to calm down, and looked back into the mirror. To her horror, her hair shifted color again. The colors settled into green and silver, Slytherin's house colors.

"HARRY POTTER!!!!" she bellowed.

Outside on the street, a cloaked man pumped his fist in the air, finally having got one over on Hermione Granger. '_Today is a good day!_' Harry thought to himself. He walked down the street, whistling a happy tune, his troubles momentarily forgotten.

When Hermione got to her office, she glared at the people who dared to snicker at her predicament. Gavin strode out of his office, and he stopped suddenly when he saw her hair. He slapped his hand to his mouth and darted back into his office. The day got worse, as Ron stopped by to apologize for the night before. He opened his mouth, but he was stunned speechless when he saw her. He gaped like a fish for a few moments, and finally spluttered something out.

"Bloody hell!" he said. "Hermione, who did that to your hair?"

"Harry did it. Ohhhh, he is _so_ dead when I get to him!" Hermione growled. Ron looked like he wanted to laugh, but his expression turned pained very quickly.

"Harry was here? When?" Ron asked. Hermione explained what happened the previous night, and finished with her drinking the potion. Ron started to laugh at her story, and he soon regretted it. After being glared at by Hermione, he ran from the office, but not in time to avoid the stinging hex that crashed into his rear end. When Harry did return, Ron was looking forward to the coming confrontation, as it would be a sight to see her take on Harry. He was sure that Harry would win, but Ron knew that Harry was in for a lot of pain.


	6. Accomplishments?

**A/N:** I fixed some spelling errors and added a bit of detail…

**Chapter Five**

**Accomplishments?**

Another year had passed by; and life had gone on. The recovery from the war was almost complete and the peace that had lasted since was appreciated by all. The British wizarding nation had become an example to the other wizarding nations. Everyone lauded the efforts of several of the recovery groups, with the Weasley's at the forefront. They had been awarded several awards by numerous groups, and their standing in the wizarding world had skyrocketed to one of the most prominent wizarding families, not for money and power, but one of the most respected.

ooo

People in the Department of Mysteries were diving to the side as a blur shot down the halls. Hermione burst through Gavin's door, waving a piece of parchment excitedly. He raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner, as he glanced at the teacup he had just flung in surprise.

"Gavin, I did it! I managed to translate the runes from the Veil!" Hermione said. She shut the door, and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. "I found that if the runes are translated and read out loud in proximity of the Veil it would cause the noise I heard."

Gavin leaned forward in his chair and looked over her notes. She waited patiently for him to finish. He set the parchment down and continued to look at his desk with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"So, tell me what the runes say," Gavin said.

"'_An innocent prisoner may be freed, but only the selfless will escape the penalty._' Now I think that since I had an ulterior motive for translating the runes, that the penalty is what I was hit with," Hermione explained. "Now the second set of runes on the bottom of the archway was the actual incantation to active the Veil. That was the part that I was working on when I heard the noise."

Gavin sat back in deep thought and pondered the message she had read. He came to the conclusion that this should be kept classified. But then a thought occurred to him.

"Now why did the Veil activate the penalty? Surely you did not try to activate it," Gavin said. Hermione blushed and looked down at her feet.

"Well, the incantation has to be read by pronouncing the runes. I have a bit of a habit of sounding them out when I write them down," she mumbled. She heard Gavin shove down his laughter with a snort. "Yes I know, it's a bit of a bad habit, but it helps me to translate them faster." Gavin broke in with another thought.

"So what grabbed your cloak during the first incident? Were you working on the same section of runes?" Gavin asked. Hermione nodded in the positive. "Well, that would explain what grabbed onto you. Well, now that we know what the Veil is, and what it can do, I think we should post it as off limits to all but key personnel. Now that you have finished your translation, would you like a new case? I just got an interesting one in this morning that you might have a bit of a tough time with."

Hermione perked up and snatched the parchment he was holding. She scanned the page quickly, her eyes widening as she read.

"Gavin? Could this be true? I mean, I thought the Sorcerer's stone had been destroyed years ago by Dumbledore and Flamel. Is this the original one or another one that was created?" Hermione asked.

"It seems to be a new one, but this is what really confounds us. It seems that this stone can do more. I need you to study it, and find out what the extra attributes are to this stone. But first, we need to retrieve it. That is where you start. The location it is at, is guarded by a spell that the maker of this stone set to have a password. Unfortunately, the password is something we have not been able to crack. Would you mind taking a trip with me?" Gavin explained. Hermione nodded her head enthusiastically. She was excited to get an opportunity like this. "Meet me here tomorrow morning at half nine. We will be taking a portkey to the location that we were sent by the maker of this new stone." Hermione raised her eyebrow in interest that the maker would want this found. "And here is another thing that I did not show you right away." He handed her another parchment. She scanned the page and her jaw fell open.

"The maker of the stone requested me?!" she exclaimed. "Why would the person request me?"

"I'm not sure Hermione, but the letter was adamant that it was you who was the one to be there. Tomorrow, when we get to the location, we will give you the rest of the information. There will be aurors there for protection in case this is a trap for some of the remaining undesirable elements still on the loose. Now in that case, you can continue with your day, and I can clean up the tea off my desk," Gavin said. Hermione flicked her wand and the mess was cleaned up.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you," she said sheepishly. She waved her goodbye and strode from the office. Hermione reached her office, and finished the report on the Veil. She set it into her outbox, so it could be filed away. She finished her recommendations for the Veil for Gavin to approve. By the time she finished all of that, it was time for her to go home for the day. She reached the Ministry atrium and flooed to her flat. She was supposed to meet Ron for dinner to catch up on things. She had heard he had graduated from the Auror academy second in his class the week before. The only person who had beaten him in marks was a newcomer to Britain from America. Her name was Sharon Carver, and it was rumored that she and Ron were sort of an item. Hermione planned to take the mickey out of him about it that night at dinner.

ooo

She finished getting ready, and she still had about twenty minutes to get there. She apparated to Diagon Alley, and proceeded to tour Flourish and Blott's for a few minutes. She located an interesting volume on Alchemy, and she decided that it would help her with the project she was taking the following day. After paying for the book, she made her way to the restaurant they were meeting at. Ron arrived five minutes early, much to Hermione's surprise. They were seated in a back corner of the restaurant. When the orders were placed, they turned matters to more serious subjects.

"Hermione, I just wanted to let you know, that I will be one of the Aurors there at the site tomorrow. There are going to be four of us, and then your team. Now please, if you notice _anything_ out of place, please let us handle it. Because if you get hurt, I'll have to hunt down the berk who set this up, and deal with him without magic," Ron said. Hermione smiled and nodded her assent. Ron nodded back and sighed with relief that she agreed with his request. Hermione's expression shifted to a more mischievous grin.

"So, I hear that you might be seeing someone," Hermione said playfully. Ron groaned and hid his blushing face behind his hands. "And even an American! Oh Ron, you know I'm just teasing you. So tell me about her!"

They talked for about an hour about his budding relationship. Hermione listened to him talk about Sharon, marveling at how much he had matured from his days at Hogwarts. He talked about her with such a passion, that she was sure they would end up together for a very long time. She was even amazed on how Ron even knew how Sharon liked her toast in the mornings. Listening to him talk, she began to think of Harry, how much she missed him and how her feelings had changed. Ron noticed her wistful expression, and shifted the subject from him and Sharon.

"So no word from Harry yet?" Ron asked seriously.

"No, not since he brought me home from the Leaky Cauldron that night. But it's strange, it's almost like I can feel him watching over me. I often have this feeling that someone is following me, but I know that the person doesn't want to hurt me. It's almost like Harry is my guardian angel," she explained. Ron looked at his hands, and sighed. He looked up and his face took on a curious look on his face.

"Hermione, I have a question. Now please before you cut me off, hear me out," he said. Hermione nodded in the positive. "I know you care for Harry deeply, but I think it runs deeper than that. Here is my question. Do you love him?" Hermione blinked a few times.

"Well, of course Ron, he is one of my best friends. You are the other, of course I do," she said. Ron shook his head and grinned. She was just trying to hide what he knew; he was just trying to get Hermione to admit it.

"You misunderstood me, Hermione. I mean more than a best friend. Are you _in love_ with him?" he asked. She choked on her tea for a moment, and got a surprised look on her face, but Ron saw right through it. He chuckled at her expression. "That's what I thought." Hermione's façade fell and her head thumped to the table. She looked up after a minute.

"Am I that obvious?" she asked despairingly. Ron snorted.

"Yeah, you are. I was just trying to get you to admit it. When did it start for you?" he said. Hermione bit her lip and looked down. She didn't want to remember that day when she first thought about that. It brought up too many painful memories. Ron saw her face and grimaced. "Oh, that day…" His face crumpled and a few tears leaked out. Hermione wiped the tears off her face and reached to grab Ron's hand. They had not seen Sharon arrive and she had heard the conversation. She reached out and laid her hand on Ron's shoulder. He looked up in surprise, and half smiled when he saw her.

Hermione looked up and looked at who must have been Sharon. Hermione saw the sadness in her eyes while she comforted Ron. Sharon was tall, almost as tall as Ron, and she had long dark blonde hair. Sharon wrapped Ron in a hug, as he silently wept over the memories of Ginny. Hermione started to get up and leave the two some privacy, but two hands yanked back down into her chair and pulled her into the hug. They sat like that for quite a few minutes. After all three had calmed back down, they steered the subject to more about Sharon. Sharon had seen the Ron and Hermione in the restaurant and she had to come and meet Hermione, as Ron had talked about her so many times. Sharon wasn't worried about anything between Ron and Hermione, but knew that the two were very close friends.

Hermione learned that Sharon was originally from Dallas, Texas, and she was a muggleborn. Her father had been in the United States Army, and they had moved around a lot. Sharon's mother was a lawyer that did a lot of pro-bono cases. Her father had taught her how to fight when she was young, and it made her a natural choice to go into the Auror academy. She had transferred over to Britain's academy during her first year because her Father had been assigned to work with the British Government and the Ministry of Magic to better educate the new generation of aurors about the muggle combat capabilities. Sharon's mother had managed to get a job working with a solicitor in the wizarding world so she could assist in defense of wizards or witches who could not afford a solicitor. They talked a bit more and eventually called it an evening, as they had a big day coming up.

ooo

Hermione woke the next morning and got ready excitedly. She arrived at her office around eight in the morning, and got a few materials together. When she had everything she needed, she started for Gavin's office.

"Ah, good morning Ms. Granger, I trust you know Auror Weasley and Auror Carver," Gavin said. Hermione nodded and waved to the two. "The other two shall be here shortly." A few minutes later Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt arrived to fill out the compliment.

"Tonks!" Hermione exclaimed. She ran over and gave the Auror a hug, and shook Kingsley's hand. While they waited for the portkey to activate, Hermione and Tonks excitedly chattered away about nothing in particular. When half nine arrived, they all felt the tug behind their navels and they were transported to the mysterious location. When they hit the ground, all four of the aurors were set in a defensive pattern just to be safe, circling Hermione and Gavin. Once they were satisfied that the area was safe, they fanned out, and stood guard.

"Alright, Ms. Granger. Here is the original letter we received," Gavin said as he handed Hermione the parchment. Hermione's eyes widened as she read over the parchment. She eyes shot to Gavin, who just grinned. "Yes, Hermione, it's real. I wanted you to accept the project on the premise of a good project, not because of who created the new stone."

Her hands trembled and a wry grin appeared on her face.

"Mr. Frost, may I show this to Ron?" Hermione asked. Gavin nodded his assent and she waved Ron over. He read the parchment and his eyes widened as well.

_Hermione,_

_I hope this note finds you well. I have a project for you. Yes, a true mystery for you to unravel. I managed to get a copy of the notes Nicholas Flamel made when creating the sorcerer's stone, from a mutual deceased acquaintance. I worked on reading the notes and I must have read a section wrong. But it seems I have succeeded in creating a new sorcerer's stone, but with a few twists. _

_I do not have the time, or knowledge to unravel what I have done. The stone is protected by a powerful spell that is deactivated by speaking the password. If anyone tries to get past the spell without the password, be careful where you step. There may be more than a few slugs around, and possibly some remaining body parts…_

_I leave this to you Hermione, please figure out what kind of mistake I made. And as always, I solemnly swear I am up to no good._

_Harry_

Ron and Hermione shared a knowing look, and said in unison:

"Mischief Managed!"

There was a loud pop, and all of the people in the immediate area felt a wave of magic burst forth. Hermione knew the spell was broken, but before she could stop her, Sharon reached for the box.

"No Sharon!" Hermione shouted, but she was a second to late. There was a loud bang and a puff of smoke that enveloped Sharon. They heard her shriek, and then she was silent.

When the smoke cleared, there was a purple rabbit, with a gaudy pink bow around its neck, tapping its foot impatiently. Ron doubled over and fell to the ground in laughter, and Hermione was stifling a case of the giggles. Tonks was trying hard not to laugh, but kept snorting into her hand. Kingsley let out a deep laugh, and Gavin was biting his fist with tears streaming down his face. They all heard the indignant squeak from the rabbit, which sent Ron further down the road of laughter. Hermione burst out laughing, and picked up Sharon.

"Awww, isn't she so cute!" Hermione cooed excessively. Sharon turned around in Hermione's hand and raised her rear end to Hermione. She put Sharon down, and within five minutes, an annoyed looking Sharon was standing there tapping her foot at Ron, giving him a death glare.

"Sorry Sharon, but we should have warned you that Harry has become a practical joker. I believe that the prank was meant for me, as I would have been the first person to grab the box. However, I learned about a year ago not to trust anything that came from Harry, unless it was checked over for spells," Hermione explained. Sharon let out an annoyed huff and grumbled under her breath. "Trust me, if you do end up marrying Ron, when Harry gets back, you'll be a prime target for Harry."

Sharon grinned evilly, and Hermione could see the wheels of revenge turning in her head. Hermione walked over to Sharon and put her arm around Sharon's shoulders.

"I believe Harry is going to get it when he returns," Sharon said menacingly. Hermione's eyes turned sad, and her arm fell away.

"If he ever does return," Hermione mumbled. Ron had finally stopped laughing and put his hand on her shoulder. He gave it a slight squeeze, and Hermione nodded her thanks. She walked over to the box and ran a few detection spells. Harry had truly thought she would have been the first one to touch the box, because there were no more spells on the box. She grabbed it quickly, and turned to Gavin. "We should get this back to the office and place it under guard. Who knows how many people know about it, and we cannot let it fall into the wrong hands."

Gavin nodded quickly and made a motion for everyone to return to the portkey. When everyone assembled, Gavin muttered the activation word and they were whisked away back to the department of mysteries. Gavin took care of the security for the box Harry had left and set it up for Hermione and himself. When that was concluded, he informed Hermione where it was, and secured her oath of secrecy for that project.

The next day Hermione arrived in the secure room to start the study of the stone Harry had created. She carefully checked the box again, since she was wary of his pranks. When she was satisfied there were no more spell on the box, she carefully opened it. She gasped at the beautiful amber stone that was lying on a pile of velvet. When she opened the box all of the way, she notice another letter addressed to herself on the inside of the lid. She checked the letter, and there were no spells on it. She tilted her head in curiosity, and took the letter out. She took a deep breath and opened the letter and began to read.

_My dearest Hermione,_

_I hope my little pranks did not get you too angry, just trying to spice up your life._

_By reading this letter you figured out what my password was. Good work! I knew you would figure it out fast, as there very select few who know what I meant._

_On to another subject. I have something to tell you, and I'm not sure how you will take it. I have finally gotten over what happened at the battle. It took a while, but I did it. There were so many times that I felt that I couldn't go on, and it was to the point I was ready to end my own life. But there was one thing that kept me going. It was you. _

_Through everything that had ever happened to me, you were always there for me. No matter what I said to you, or the stupid things I had done, you had been there like every time before. Not even Ron could hold to that. But every time I needed someone, you were there for me. You are the only person who understands me, not the Boy-who-lived, but me. The real Harry Potter beneath all of the titles, awards, and such things like that. No one ever stood by me, withstanding all of the crap I have had to deal with in my life since I was eleven years old, except for you._

_I guess what I am trying to say, is that I think I am in love with you, but I am not sure how that would work, since I have not been there for a couple of years. I don't know if you have changed from the adorable woman I once knew. If I am way off the mark on this, I apologize for troubling you with this. I can only dream that you feel the same way. And it might have to stay a dream. _

_So I hope that I have not upset you. I still don't know when I will be back, but I know this for sure. I _WILL _be back. If anything, it will only be for you. _

_One more thing. Through my travels, I have run across a few suspected Death Eaters who escaped fate that day. There are rumblings of possible things to come. They seem to be restless, and they are searching for something. They are not violent yet, but their search is getting them closer to something I hope never happens. I have tried to stop them, but one person can only last so long in a fight, so I have been picking my battles. Be careful and WATCH YOUR BACK! Please don't let anything happen to you, for I know if something did, I know I could not take it. I would be right back at the point I was at after Ginny died, and then I would have no hope of recovering._

_So please, take care and I hope to see you soon._

_With love,_

_Harry_

Hermione clutched the letter and pressed it to her heart, and her heart leapt. Harry felt the same about her that she did for him. But then reality came back to her and she realized that she had no way to tell him that. '_That's ok, I will wait for him,_' she thought to herself. Come hell or high water, she would be there for him when he returned, which he had confirmed himself.


	7. Healing Revelations

**A/N: ** Made a few spelling corrections and added a few things. Also changed some dialog to not be as repetitive…

**Chapter Six**

**Healing Revelations**

Two years later…

Hermione had managed to halfway unravel the stone Harry had made. The extra capabilities hidden in the stone were nothing short of staggering. He had somehow managed to make the stone do all of the standard things the original stone could do. Such as turn anything into gold and producing the elixir of life, but she had revealed one more thing it could do, which was when the elixir was drunk, the recipient would have his or her magic amplified to dangerous levels, and could be fatal if taken to close together. She had made a bit of the elixir from the stone under the strict supervision of Gavin. They had broken down the potion and found that there were still four more unique things that could be done with the elixir.

Hermione had settled down with a warm cup of tea one night, and pulled her favorite book to her lap. She had been reading for a while when she heard some screaming from outside the window. She dropped the book and grabbed her wand. She ran to her front door and flung it open. She almost dropped her wand when she saw the all too familiar white masks and black robes. Before she could try and cast a spell, they were attacked from behind with a powerful reductor curse. Two of the five Death Eaters fell instantly, and the others turned around. They attacked their assailant, with everything they had. Hermione ran into the street and gathered the previous victims and pushed them towards her house. When they were safe, she turned back to the battle in her street. The Death Eaters were winning.

Hermione took a deep breath and cast a blasting hex with as much power as she could muster. What surprised her is that her wand actually bucked when the spell left her wand and rocketed towards the Death Eaters. Her spell had hit just a fraction of a second too late as one of the Death Eaters sent a reductor curse straight into their attacker's chest at close range. She heard the scream of pain as it hit, and then the deafening silence as the remainder of the Death Eater squad was wiped out by the force of her spell.

She walked up to the unknown attacker that had engaged the Death Eaters. She saw that he too had a mask, but it had a phoenix on its forehead. She levitated the unknown man into her house and scrambled to find her healing kit. When she located it, she was glad to see that the man was still alive, but he was starting to fade. The victims of the attack were huddled in a corner, with shocked looks on their faces. Hermione managed to get them to talk and found that they were muggleborn wizards. Hermione tossed them some calming potions and they were consumed quickly. Hermione heard the tell tale sounds of apparition outside of her flat. She ran to the door, and opened it a crack. She was relieved to see that an Auror squad cleaning up the mess. She shut her door and sealed it. She needed some time to work on the mysterious hero. Her wand started to warm in her hand, and it seemed to tell her to heal the person as fast as possible, and the feeling was one of panic she received from her wand. She still had not figured out why it would try and communicate with her sometimes, but she dismissed it for now, and cast the most powerful healing spell she knew. She was relieved to see that the wounds were closing, and his breathing was returning to normal.

She reached for his mask. Hermione needed to know who this hero was. When she removed the mask, it hit the floor with a thud and she gasped. Here lying on her floor, was the love of her life, Harry Potter. The others in the room also gasped at who the hero was. Hermione swore them to secrecy, and told them to say they did not see who saved them except for her. She unsealed the door, and she led them out. She was glad that it was Ron's squad who was there, and they were starting to take statements from the few witnesses. Hermione said that she heard the screaming, and had run to their aid. She told them that an unknown person attacked the Death Eaters from behind, but she didn't see who it was.

Ron took her statement, and let her go back home. She ran back to her door, and hoped that Harry had not disappeared again. When she got inside, side shut the door quickly and spun around. Harry was still there, and he was still unconscious. She levitated him to her bed and gently lowered him down. She sat down on the edge of the bed just staring at him. She breathed in his scent, as she watched his chest rise and fall.

He had filled out in the right spots, and had gained a bit more onto his height. His strong chiseled jaw had become more handsome than she remembered. He would have a couple of slight scars to add to the others, but Hermione didn't really care about that. His scar had faded a bit, but it looked like it was a bit red around the edges. She just watched him sleep, and soon, she drifted off lying on the foot of her bed.

She awoke from her restless sleep, and found that Harry was not in the bed. She scrambled to her feet and threw open her bedroom door. She was starting to get nervous that Harry had disappeared again. She heard a noise and a muttered curse from the kitchen. She ran down the hall and rounded the corner, only to see Harry trying to look through her pantry for something to eat. She took a deep breath and approached Harry. He jumped when she touched his shoulder.

"Sorry Harry. I didn't mean to startle you," she said sheepishly. Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"That's ok, Hermione. I was just trying to find something for breakfast. You were sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you," he said. He turned to face her, making her melt with his intense gaze. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

She bit her lip, unsure of how he would react especially after what had just happened the previous night. She sat down and dropped her head into her hands. Harry looked at her, wondering what could be troubling her so much.

"Harry, I don't know if this is the right time, but I'm afraid that if I don't say this, I'll never get a chance to," she said. Harry raised his eyebrow, and motioned for her to continue. "I got your letter you put into the box with your stone."

Harry looked at his feet, and blushed to his roots.

"Oh yeah, that letter," he mumbled. "Look, I know I might have been out of line, but I had to say that. It's ok if you don't feel the same. I know I probably over-stepped my bounds as a friend."

Hermione quickly got up and went into her room; she retrieved the letter and strode back out into her living room. She showed him that the letter was still as pristine as it had been, but it had been read several times over.

"Harry, this letter you left for me has been one of the only things that have kept me going recently," she said quietly. She looked into his eyes and saw a spark of hope in the deep, intense emerald depths. She answered his look of hope by crossing the room and launched herself at him. She pulled him into a deep kiss, and loving every second of it.

Harry was surprised for a moment, but he quickly kissed her back with everything he had. He poured all of his pent up emotions into the kiss. They both felt a sudden warm breeze flow through themselves, and when they broke apart, it was only because they both needed to catch their breath.

"Did you feel that?" Harry asked. She nodded and sighed with happiness. She finally had let out her true self to Harry, and she felt better than she had in a very long time. She pulled him in for another kiss, and this time Harry didn't hesitate. If anyone else had been in the room, they would have seen the brilliant white aura around the two of them. When they finally broke apart because air was becoming an urgent need, Hermione looked up at Harry, but saw a troubled look on his face.

"Harry? What's wrong?" she asked. Harry sighed and sat down at the table. He ran his hand through his hair and then his scowl deepened.

"Hermione, I'm not sure we can do this. I can't stand to see you get hurt because of me—" he started to say when he was interrupted by a sharp slap to the back of his head. He turned his head and looked at an irate Hermione. '_Er, this is not going to be good,_' he thought to himself. She started to speak in a calm, but fierce tone of voice.

"What, do you think I can't take care of myself? Or that I'm some little girl you feel you have to keep at arm's length because you have to protect them? Well think again, because ever since I got my new wa—" she started to say, but cut herself off. She was still a bit embarrassed about how she lost her first one. She looked over at Harry and lost her will to berate him, as she saw his eyes sparkling with silent laughter. She dropped her head to the table. "Oh, you heard as well, huh?" Harry nodded in the affirmative and burst out laughing. "Oh sod off, Potter!"

Harry's laughter became so hard, that his face was beet red. Once he regained his composure, he looked at a blushing Hermione.

"Yeah, I heard about that. And I heard about your boss' reaction as well!" Harry said. Hermione groaned again, and began to thump her head on the table. Harry shot his hand out before she could progress, and held her back from hitting her head more. "Sorry, but it was too funny on how you could go from the Hermione we all feared in school, to beating yourself up over something you had no control over." His face became serious again. "The other thing that bothers me, I don't know if I am betraying her memory…"

Hermione quickly caught on to what he was getting at. He felt that having an interest in Hermione meant he was trying to replace Ginny with her. She knew that could have been an issue, but she had a quick answer to that.

"Harry, there is something you should know. The day Ginny died," she paused as a painful grimace came over his face. "When she whispered into my ear, she told me something. She wanted me to take care of you. She knew long before the final battle how I had started to feel for you, but she said since I was with Ron, and you had been a clueless guy when you were younger." She smiled at the affronted look on his face. "She told me that if things did not work out with Ron, that she would feel better if I was the one who you ended up with."

Harry's eyes were shining with unshed tears. He stood up and walked over to the window and stared out of it.

"Hermione, like I said in the letter, I was smitten with you, but I knew Ron would never forgive me if we started to see each other. Things were so hard back then, and I could not risk losing the only people who cared about me. If that had happened, I don't think I would have had the strength to escape Voldemort in the graveyard," he said quietly. "I put my feelings aside and encouraged Ron to ask you out, since I knew he liked you. I know he still does, but I think he may have found a better match with Sharon. But when I'm with you, all of my bad memories seem to be easier to force down. You keep me calm and happy. I know Ginny had that effect on me, but with you, it is so much more powerful. Do you understand now? I feel that since that is the case, I am betraying her for loving you and you having more of an effect on me. I just feel that I can't face it."

Hermione stood up and gently turned him to face her. She took a deep breath and readied herself to reveal something that she had promised to Ginny that she would keep secret until the battle had been finished and Voldemort was destroyed.

"Harry, I need to tell you something that will be a bit of a shock," she said, afraid at how he was going to handle this. "I know she never told you, but she was a seer. She kept it secret, from everyone. I only knew because I knew she had not been sleeping after her first and only vision. She saw the final battle Harry."

"You mean she saw herself die?" Harry whispered. Hermione shook her head.

"No. She saw what would have happened if she had not sacrificed herself," she said shakily. Hermione buried her face into Harry's chest and started to cry. She looked up, at stared at Harry with tear filled eyes. "She saw you lose, and what happened to the world if Voldemort had won. She said she couldn't let that happen no matter the consequences."

Harry stood there in shock at the revelation. His grip on Hermione tightened and they both stood there just holding each other.

"So you see Harry, she died to make sure life would go on. She sacrificed herself to make sure you would have a future, even if it was without her."

Harry nodded as tears fell from his eyes. He closed them and said a silent thank you to Ginny. He felt a breeze of warm air and he could have sworn he smelled Ginny's scent for a moment. Hermione's head shot up at that moment with a startled look on her face. Harry half smiled and nodded at her questioning look. They sat down and just thought about things for a while. Finally Harry asked a question that she had been expecting a long time before now.

"Hermione, how do you feel about me?" He asked. She playfully punched his arm and moved around the table and sat on his lap. She snuggled into him and closed her eyes. She let out a contented sigh. She felt him sigh as well. "Well I guess that answers that. Now, can I see the new wand?"

Hermione nodded and went to her bedroom to retrieve it. When she picked it up, she smiled slightly at the comforting feel that flowed into her. She also wanted to ask Harry if he had run into anyone during his travels that knew about wands that seemed to be sentient. She had done a bit of side research into the subject, but she had not found anything yet. She arrived back to the kitchen. She started to talk about the wand, and how it had two cores in it. To her surprise, Harry did not seem amazed at all about it. They talked a bit on how her magical output had nearly doubled since the new wand chose her. As they were talking, Hermione got up to fix a spot of breakfast and set her wand down. She busied herself while they talked about a little of his travels and turned to see him reaching for the wand.

"Harry! Be careful!" she yelled as his hand closed around it. But to her amazement, Harry just smiled and inspected the wand. She raised an eyebrow at Harry, who looked like he was having a silent conversation with someone. "Strange, last time someone tried to handle the wand, it burned them. How were you able to pick it up without it getting mad at you?" Harry chuckled, and smiled.

"Well, I guess the wand likes me," he said. Her eyes widened and she had to sit down. He would be able to tell her if the wand was sentient or not.

"Harry, do you know someone that can tell me if the wand is sentient?" she asked excitedly. He just chuckled again and murmured something to thin air, telling whoever he was talking to that he was sorry she didn't see it before. Then it clicked in her mind what was going on. "Wait a second. Harry, are you talking to the wand?" Harry's eyes lit up, seeing that she finally understood what was going on.

"Of course I am! What, you didn't ever talk to him?" he asked. She shook her head, and wondered how she could have missed it. "Well, he is a bit upset he never got to know you better, but he understands." Hermione thought furiously over the revelation, and then her eyes snapped to Harry.

"Harry? How do you know that the wand is a 'he'? I mean, how can it be possible?" she whispered. "How can you talk to a wand that you have never--… Wait! How did you do it?" Harry just grinned.

"Come on, you're almost there," he said. Hermione gasped, closed her eyes, and shook her head. She couldn't believe she didn't see it before.

"Harry, you made this wand! That's why Mr. Ollivander wouldn't tell me who made the wand! That's why it let you pick it up!" she said as she smacked her forehead. Harry's smile grew even bigger.

"Yes, I did. Now you know," he said with a smile. Then he pulled his wand out and set it down on the table. To her surprise, the two wands rolled towards each other and she could hear a contented sigh in her mind. "And yes, I made this one as well."

Her mind was finally putting things together, except for one detail.

"So how is it that they are sentient? I mean I have never found anything that would explain it," she said.

"Well, it is because the heartstring is from a dragon that is still alive," he started to explain. When she was about to ask how that was possible, he held up his hand motioning her to wait for the rest. "Now a few months after I left, I ended up at a dragon preserve. The preserve was in the United States. I was just wandering through Denver, when I saw that the preserve needed a bit of help for a month or two, while one of their employees was out due to a serious injury.

So I ended up going to a section of the Rocky Mountain range, and began with just helping with what I could. I think I actually ran across the dragon they used for me in the Tri-Wizard tournament, because that one would get especially ornery when I was around that Horntail.

Well one day a couple of younger dragons were trying to out fly one another, and the bigger of the two hit a large jagged boulder. It turns out that the rock was solid enough to penetrate his chest and his heart was injured. I was called out to help with some of the bandages, but they could not get close enough, as the dragon was gravely injured and it would not let anyone get close. And then it saw me. Now dragons must have a way to develop a certain respect for some people. Because I had out flown the Horntail in the tournament, this one must have heard. Because it let me get right up to its snout, and I was able to touch him, but man did I feel nervous. I thought he would suddenly lunge and swallow me whole. When I did, he started to talk to me telepathically. We started to get to know each other, and talked to each other while the rest of the crew worked on his injury.

They had to remove a small section of the dragon's heart muscle, due to the fact it was almost severed completely clean. The tissue would have died and become infected if it had not been removed. The dragon handlers said that would have surely killed him. He demanded that I keep it preserved as a token of his thanks for helping him to live. While he was healing, they setup a camp for me very close to him, so he would be able to stay still and let the wound heal. I asked him if I could maybe use a little of it to make myself a wand if I could ever learn how. Let me tell you, when a dragon laughs, it sounds like an earthquake.

So, as a few days went by, I learned that he did not have a name yet, since dragons choose their name for themselves based on significant events in their young lives. Sure, we can choose names for them, but they only respond if they wish to. They keep their true names to themselves and use it for the other dragons."

Hermione was entranced by his amazing story, and was disappointed why he stopped there, only to see he was blushing a bit.

"Harry? What's wrong? Why are you acting embarrassed? So he didn't have a name chosen for himself yet," she said. When he looked down and flushed even more, she caught on. "Oh, so he _did_ choose a name then, didn't he?" she teased. Harry just mumbled something under his breath. "Let me guess, he chose Harry, didn't he?"

Harry just nodded, while staring at the floor. Hermione smiled and put her hand over his.

"Harry that is a tremendous honor having a young dragon to name itself after your name, I mean, they live for hundreds of years and they will have to tell the story of how their name came to be. Your name will be revered by dragons for generations to come!"

Harry let out a strangled cry and put his head in his hands.

"Great, rub it in that I am famous even with dragons as well," Harry muttered. He looked at Hermione sharply as she laughed at his comment. "Oh, do hush up."

They talked a while more on things he had seen and done over the past four years. He told her about his martial arts training he had taken, and blushed when she said it really suited him, as he was in terrific shape. The conversation drifted to the places he had been. Rome, the U.S., Tokyo, Beijing, and many others were mentioned. He talked about all of the contacts he had made, and friendships he had formed with many other people. But Hermione noticed one thing that he neglected to mention.

"So Harry, was there anyone special during these years? I mean, the women must have been tripping over each other to get into your good graces," she said with a wink. His face fell, and he dropped his head down. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry Harry. I was just trying to poke fun at you. I know, I'm tactless and I should not have asked that."

"It's ok. I shouldn't let it get to me, but it still does. The truth is, yes. The women were always trying to rope in the 'Great Harry Potter' but they could never get me to pay attention to them. They all wanted the fame. Now it's not that I went out with them, I just knew it. At first I was still getting over Ginny. That took a long time. But after a while the pain got less. It will never go away, and I know this. But that doesn't mean I have to live alone for the rest of my life thinking that there would be no one else for me.

Time went by, and I kept getting all sorts of women trying to woo me. But the one person that was not trying to and the one person I missed the most of all was you. I knew it was because you really cared for me, not the fame and money. I knew that if I lost all of my money and the wizarding world abandoned me, you would still be there for me. You would always be a true friend at my side, and that would never change," he finished and looked up to see tears in Hermione's eyes. He reached out to her, and drew her petite form to his chest. She clutched on to him, vowing to never let him go again.

"Oh, Harry. I'm glad to know you knew that. The one thing I wished I could have told you before you left was that. I'm just happy that you knew that without it being said," she said. He answered by tightening his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

The day went by with them catching up on all of the little details that they never knew. That evening, Harry sat in a chair in the living room, debating who was now leading the Death Eaters. He needed to find out what they were after, and why. He had his suspicions of who the current interim leader was, but he needed more proof before he could go after them. Hermione arrived home from checking in at work and saw Harry brooding to himself. She walked over and gave him a one armed hug from behind. He gently put his hand on her forearm and sighed.

"Sorry 'Mione, I was just going over some things in my head," he said. She kissed him on the side of his head and went to go take her cloak off. When she had put things away, they had a quiet dinner, making plans for the following day. He wanted to take her out to dinner, but he was not sure how he would be accepted back since he had disappeared.

She explained to him that for once, the Daily Prophet had run a true and accurate article on him when he disappeared. The public never condemned him, and they would be excited to have him back. She was hoping the media rush would not be too bad, but she knew how bad it would be when word leaked out.

The next morning had her getting up before Harry woke up from his spot on the couch. She had tried to get him to transfigure it into a bed, but he said that he did not want to since he actually had a house that he owned. When he had mentioned that, she had boldly offered for him to join her, but he gently let her down with a smile, saying that the moment would have to be right for him to do that. She had hid her disappointment at his response.

When she exited her room, she found Harry sleeping with his head hanging off the edge of the couch. She smirked to herself and decided that this was a perfect time to get him back for the potion bottle prank he pulled a couple of years ago. She crept into the kitchen and charmed the butterbeer in her icebox with a confusion charm and a curse that would make whoever drank it have balance problems. Then she moved back into the living room and charmed all of his clothing to be invisible except for his underwear when he put them on. She figured hat he would still be half asleep and not notice it until it was too late. Then she finished her prank by charming the shower to only put out ice cold water, and that it would make the water colder the more he turned the hot water on.

Satisfied with her work, she left her flat and apparated to the Ministry. She was excited about her date with Harry that night and stopped at Madam Malkin's.

"Why Miss Granger! I thought it would be longer before you would need more robes. But still it is a pleasure to see you. So what can I get you?"

"I need a dress robe, and one that would make even the most dim-witted man to notice it. Preferably black for a color," Hermione said.

"Ah! It's about time some lucky bloke caught your eye! Some of us worried that a pretty little thing like you would never find someone. Now, let me see… I think I may have something in the back you would like. Let me go and get it," Madam Malkin said as she bustled off to the back room. She came back with a dress that took Hermione's breath away.

It was black, but it had silver piping around the waist in an elegant design. It had long blossoming sleeves with silver and white layers at the end of the sleeves. A modest, but noticeable neckline left little to the imagination. Hermione's eyes lit up when she saw the dress, and she immediately grabbed it to go and try it on. When she came out of the dressing room, she heard Madam Malkin gasp at how Hermione look.

"My dear! Oh it looks absolutely smashing on you! Let's see, it needs a little taken in around the waist. It looks a little tight around the chest, so I need to do a few small alterations on it. But otherwise it is a perfect dress for you," Madam Malkin said. She has Hermione keep the dress on so the changes could be done perfectly. The alterations were done in just a few moments, and Hermione said her thanks and paid for the dress.

Hermione left the store in high spirits, and had an average day at her job. She could not wait to see Harry's face at the dress. She wanted to see if Harry had an interesting morning after she left. She arrived home to see Harry sitting on the floor in the living room, in his boxers, wavering dangerously. He looked up and tried to focus his eyes on her.

"Hermione? What's wrong with me? Oh and I think your bathroom is broken… It was so cold…" he mumbled. She slapped her hand to her mouth and fought off a case of the giggles. She waved her wand and the effects of the prank disappeared. His clothes appeared, but his shirt was half off of his body, and his pants were on backwards. His eyes snapped back in focus. "What the… Granger, you are history!"

Hermione let out a surprised yelp as he tackled her to the ground, intent on tickling the life out of her. Despite her shrieks of protest, he kept on for a few more minutes until they were both out of breath lying on the living room floor. Harry rolled his head over to look at her, and smiled at how beautiful she looked with her cheeks full of color.

"Well, I suppose we should go and get ready for dinner," Hermione said. "Do you have your outfit here?"

Harry shook his head and told her he had to go to his home to get ready. He gave her a quick kiss, and apparated to his house. Hermione spent the rest of the afternoon fixing up her hair and getting ready. When her doorbell rang, she had just finished her final touches. She adjusted her black silk shawl, and put the sultriest look on her face she could muster. She reached for the door and opened it.

She giggled at Harry's reaction. There stood the bravest man she had ever known, the great Harry Potter, stunned into silence. His eyes slowly took in everything from her hair to her high heeled shoes, and he was utterly speechless. He recovered and finally managed to utter out the only thing that came to his mind.

"Great Merlin, you are gorgeous!" he said. Then he seemed to snap back to his usual polite self. "Excuse me. Er, could you shut the door? I, um, buggered that up. I want to try that again." She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Not a chance, Harry. Your reaction was the proper one. No do-over's tonight. Are you ready?" she asked, batting her eyes at him. It was funny how she could get him to melt, but it seemed so easy to do when she dressed like that. She made a mental note of that and accepted the two dozen red roses he had given her. He offered her his arm and she slipped her hand under his and he led her out of the flat, with the promise of a truly wonderful evening in store.


	8. Dinner and Destruction

**A/N:** I put a little more detail into the aftermath and corrected a _blatant_ missing section of a sentence. I'm amazed no one caught me on it.

**Chapter Seven**

**Dinner and Destruction**

Harry led Hermione to his car, which she was surprised to see he had purchased an Audi A4. He opened her door for her, and held out a hand for her to help her into the car. They chatted amiably while he drove to the restaurant. When she asked him where they were having dinner, he smirked and said she would have to wait and see.

He turned onto King Street, and rolled to a stop. Hermione's eyes widened as she saw they were in front of Maggiore's. She turned her face to Harry, and he just smiled and nodded.

"I hope you are in the mood for some French cuisine," Harry said as he helped her out of the car. Hermione could only nod and smile as she was stunned by his choice of places to eat at. He chuckled and led her into the front door.

"Harry, have you been planning this for a while? I thought you had to have a reservation for a restaurant like this," she asked quietly. He merely smiled as the hostess brought them to their table.

They ordered their drinks and gazed at the menu. Harry decided on the Roasted Scottish Ribeye, while Hermione chose the chicken dinner. They made some small talk as they were waiting for their dinner. One subject they had to discuss was how to tell Ron that Harry had returned.

"Hermione, when should we tell Ron that I have come back?" Harry asked. "I mean, I know he came to his senses, but how will he react to the fact I am hanging out with you long before I told him I was back?"

"I don't think you will have to worry about that Harry. He will just be glad that you are back period. These last four years have changed him quite a bit," she said. Harry just nodded, and looked at his hands. "Harry, don't slip into that mode again. None of the Weasley family blames you in the slightest. Don't ever think that they do."

Harry nodded and still looked unconvinced, but shrugged his shoulders. Their meals came out and their conversation switched to different subjects. Harry spoke more of his travels and skills he learned. He was really excited about telling her about his most recent and possibly the best thing he had ever learned, enchanting.

"I was in Japan last fall, and I was learning all I could from an old wizard in the northern mountains. He was running me through some spell drills, and then we had a friendly duel with each other. The whole village had heard of me, of course, but they did not make me feel like they had a huge hero worship thing going on. They treated me as a welcome guest. Well, the wizard had begun to step it up a bit and got some more powerful spells going. I got frustrated and dove to the side to get some cover, and work out a counter strategy. I saw one of the swords that way lying by my feet and infused the blade with a simple _protego_ so I could at least use the sword to deflect some of the curses. When I jumped out of my cover and used the sword in my left hand, and my wand in the right, the wizard stopped firing after he saw some of his stronger spells being deflected by the blade. He asked me what I had done and where I got the sword from.

I told him that it was on the ground, and that I had just put a shielding spell on the blade to help me protect myself. I didn't understand why he was amazed, I mean after all it was only a mild shielding charm. He explained to me that his village was responsible for training intermediate enchanters so they could perfect their skills in weapons enchanting. One of their newest students had tried on that particular sword several times, and could never get anything to happen. They figured that the sword metal was not forged correctly, and that it was scheduled for destruction.

The wizard explained this to me, and then he asked what else I could do. I then gave him a list of some of the things I had done in the past couple of years, and yes I did include the messed up stone. By the way, how is that coming along?"

Hermione blinked, lost for a second by the sudden switch of topics. She cleared her head by shaking it and gave a quick rundown on what they had found so far. She gave him a look that plainly said, 'continue with the story'.

"Sorry about that. So where was I? Oh yeah. So there I was being interrogated by the elder wizard about what I had done. It turns out I was a natural enchanter. They took me in and the elder wizard taught me himself. I spent about seven months of nothing but learning the finer points of enchanting. For my final work, I was to forge a weapon and enchant it. It had to be an original design, and the enchantment had to be very advanced; and if it was possible, to get more than one enchantment on the blade itself. I worked for a month on creating the blade and the design. When I got the sword ready, it was tested against another sword that they had made for actual sword play. I did not do so well the first time. After a very spirited fight, the elder used his sword and snapped the blade I had made. He told me to try again, and to put more work into it.

Once I had finished a second blade that I put everything I had into it, it was impressive. We had another fight and this time I was able to have the blade last the brutal beating it took. My arms were sore for a few days from the vibrations of the impacts. Then it was time for the enchantments." He stopped there and watched Hermione barely able to hold herself back from bombarding him with questions about what he enchanted the sword with.

"With that said, it is best if I just showed you what it looks like. Only then will I tell you the rest," he said. Hermione's eyes narrowed at annoyance that he would stop there.

He gently patted her hand and asked her to have patience. They moved to a different topic after she coerced him into saying that he would have her look at the sword very soon. Their desserts arrived as they talked about many other subjects.

Hermione was astounded that Harry had become this deep and introspective. She realized that if he had become this intelligent, he must have been holding back in school. He explained that while he was somewhat holding back, it was more that in a school setting, his early years with the Dursley's had conditioned him into never putting the maximum effort into everything for fear of punishment. Hermione's face darkened at that comment. He shrugged it off and told her that he had finally got past that belief.

They stayed chatting for about another half hour. They touched on a few more subjects, and then he asked if she would like to see his home.

"Hermione, would you like to see where I live?" he asked quietly. He was afraid she would say no, that she did not feel comfortable with that. "I'll understand if you think it is too soon, but I was kind of hoping you would come home with me tonight. I do have a guest room that you could stay in if you wish to."

"Harry, of course I would like to see your house! What did you think I would be offended by your offer?" she asked as he nodded sheepishly. She put her hand on his, and spoke softly. "Harry, I know that you are still a bit nervous about us, but you have to understand that I will be here for you no matter what. I have waited for you for so long and now I have my chance. I know you would not try to take advantage of me. I trust you. Would you mind stopping at my flat so I can get some clothes?"

Harry nodded and smiled. He was happy that she was coming over. He paid the bill and left a nice tip for the server they had. He was walking to the front to get Hermione's coat, when he felt someone pulling on his pant leg. He looked down at a beautiful little girl, probably five years old at the most. She looked frightened, and looked at him with wide eyes. He crouched down and smiled.

"Hello there, are you ok?" he asked, getting a shake of the head. Her eyes flicked up to his scar, and her eyes widened even more. Her mouth fell open a bit as her eyes lit up with recognition. He chuckled at her and nodded his head to her silent question. "Did you lose your parents?" He got a nod of her head this time, and he reached out his hand. "Well let's go find them shall we?" She gripped his hand and smiled. He was about to ask her what they looked like, when he heard a couple of people running up to him. His hand went to his wand in the blink of an eye, seeing that they were after the little girl.

"Crystal! Are you ok?" the woman asked. Harry relaxed a little when the little girl brightened and smiled.

"Oh, sir thank you for finding her! We turned away for just a moment to get our coats and then she was gone!" the woman said hurriedly. She looked up at Harry and a small squeal escaped her lips. She was about to say his name when he put a finger to his lips while his eyes motioned over the quiet restaurant. She recognized the sign for her not to say his name, and reached out a hand. "Thank you again sir. It is an honor to meet you."

The lady picked up her daughter and started to push her gaping husband along. Crystal leaned over her mother's shoulder and smiled and waved at Harry. He winked back and she smiled even wider. Hermione had been watching the whole exchange with a small smile.

"Do I have some competition?" she asked. His head whipped around and he looked startled. "I'm sorry for scaring you, but should we get going now?"

Harry and Hermione were walking out the front door of the restaurant when it happened. Several sharp cracks echoed through the street, and black robes could be seen. Everyone on the street stopped and stared at the strange and sudden appearance of the robed figures. One of the figures raised his arm and shouted the killing curse. In a bright flash of green light and what seemed to be slow motion, the first man fell to the ground. Harry and Hermione grabbed their wands and then all hell broke loose. The Death Eaters started firing spell after spell into the crowds.

Harry raised his wand and bellowed out a reductor curse at the Death Eater that was close to him. The Death Eater did not have time to avoid the spell. The hastily conjured shield did not even slow the spell down as the Death Eater was thrown against a wall, bleeding heavily. The other Death Eaters saw this and all of them turned to face the new threat. Harry stopped in mid-stride and took stock of the situation. Hermione used this opportunity to sneak behind the group and sent whispered stunners in their direction. She quickly avoided the counter attack as the Death Eaters scattered to avoid the two attackers.

"Potter! I should have known it would have been you!" Draco Malfoy yelled. "And the mudblood! How touching that she came to save you!"

"Pity anyone won't be able to save you!" Harry yelled back as he sent a strong cutting curse towards Malfoy. Malfoy was able to avoid the curse, but he was not fast enough to avoid Hermione's stunner. He fell hard onto his face and she heard a crack as Malfoy's nose impacted the sidewalk.

Harry turned his attention back to the others. He was facing off three of them and had them cornered. The spells were turning darker as their desperation increased. Harry nimbly dodged each curse he could not block with his left hand, and soon he was able to eliminate that section of the threat. He was about to run to the other side of the street when he heard a young child scream. He whipped around and saw that one of the Death Eaters was attacking people running from the restaurant he was just in. He broke into a run as he saw a Death Eater closing in on Crystal and her family. Just as he reached them the Death Eater sent a spell at the family.

"_**CRUCIO**_!"

The curse struck Crystal's father as he shielded her from the spell. His wand slipped out of his hand he screamed from the pain. Harry reached the Death Eater and threw a sharp elbow into the person's face. A loud grunt was heard as well as a sharp crack. The Death Eater collapsed and grabbed his face. Harry was about to get the family back inside when he heard a voice he thought he would never hear again. It was Snape.

"_**AVADA KEDAVRA**_!" In an instant, Crystal's mother fell to the ground with a muffled thud.

"NO!" Harry shouted. He spun around and faced off with Snape. "How could you? They did nothing to you!! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" Snape just laughed at Harry.

"Silence Potter! You could not beat me before and it looks like you have not changed a bit! Shall we settle this once and for all?" Snape said with a sneer.

"Tell the rest to stop attacking. One on one, Snape," Harry growled. Snape just smirked and nodded. He waved his hand and the other Death Eaters stopped firing spells. Hermione stayed hidden behind a trash bin, wondering how soon the Aurors would arrive. She did not have to wait long as she heard a dozen sharp cracks and the Aurors started to advance. However, one of the Aurors stopped when he saw Harry. Ron let out a surprised yell.

"Harry?!" he yelled as he started to run over. Harry shot up his left hand, and Ron was unable to move.

"Ron, stay back. Keep the others back as well. This is between me and Snape. Just watch the other Death Eaters," Harry said. He raised his wand and set his stance in a defensive, yet highly maneuverable stance. Snape raised his wand as well.

"Now Potter, try to elevate your pitiful intellect above sixth year spells," Snape said mockingly.

"Oh don't you worry, _professor_," Harry spat. "I have a few new tricks up my sleeves."

Snape merely sneered and started to cast his spell. His confidence vanished a second later when he was knocked backward by a strong bludgeoning curse. He winced as he pulled himself up off of the ground, the pain from his newly broken ribs making him hiss in pain. 'So, the Potter brat can cast silent. At last, I can let loose on this annoying child!' He raised his wand and cast a silent cutting curse. His eyes widened as Harry dodged the spell and cast a spell Snape had never heard of.

"_**CAECUS EXIMO**_!" Harry shouted after he sent two stunners, intending for Snape to dodge the first two. He guessed correctly as the third spell hit Snape dead on. Snape snarled in frustration as he was blinded. Harry quickly put silencing charms on his shoes and ran to Snape's left side, sending minor spells to keep him off balance. Snape began to send spells in all directions attempting to hit Harry if he could while he waited for the curse to wear off. Harry knew he only had another minute before the spell faded. Harry took this opportunity to place a few traps around Snape, hoping he could trip him up.

His timing was not the best when a reductor curse glanced off of his left leg. Harry was thrown to the ground, clutching his injured leg. He raised his wand to send a spell at Snape, when his wand was torn out of his grip. Unfortunately for Snape, he caught the wand and was promptly burned by the wand when it contacted his hand. Cursing he tossed the wand to the ground. He was about to step on the wand to snap it, when Harry summoned it back to himself. Harry managed to get a decent shield up to ward off the curses Snape was raining down on him. Harry rolled out of the way and the fight went on for several minutes.

"Very good Potter, it seems like you are at least somewhat competent in dueling, but this ends now!" Snape shouted and in a flash he had summoned Hermione in front of him as a shield. Harry froze on the spot, his eyes flashing in anger. "Now, if you don't mind, throw your wand behind you, or I will gut her like a fish. You have three seconds to comply."

Snape had not even finished say one when Harry whipped his wand behind him. Snape smirked while Hermione's face registered shock and disbelief as Harry's wand was heard rattling to a stop a half block away. Harry's eyes turned a dark menacing green.

"You see that Ms. Granger? That is his greatest weakness, caring for scum like you," Snape said. He readjusted his grip on Hermione as she struggled to get free. "Now Ms. Granger, did I dismiss you?"

Hermione responded the only way she could at this point, by bringing her heel up as fast as she could. Harry winced at the sour and pained expression on Snape's face. His grip on her slipped and Harry instantly summoned her to himself. He caught her and quickly turned around as Snape had already retaliated against Hermione. Harry screamed as the crutiatus curse hit him and Harry stumbled. Hermione raised her wand but Harry shook his head slightly. Harry the turned around and started to slowly fight the curse as he walked towards Snape.

Severus Snape believed he was a man who could be impressed by no one. But as he watched Harry Potter slowly walking towards him while under the crutiatus curse, was surely a sight to behold. Snape ended the curse and Harry stopped walking. He gasped at the look in Harry's eyes, and he could feel the power radiating from him. Snape tried to raise his wand for a parting shot as his other hand was almost touching his emergency portkey. What happened next would be burned in Snape's memory forever, as he had never seen anything like it before, not even from Voldemort.

Harry raised his hands and roared with rage. Bluish-green energy started to form like lightning from his hands. He unleashed his power and hit Snape with all of his stored energy. Snape could not even scream, as the pain was so intense. Even Voldemort never could generate this much pain. As Snape was flying through the air, his hand touched his portkey. Snape never even landed back on the street. The smell of burnt ozone was thick in the air as Harry stopped his attack. He dropped to his knees in exhaustion.

ooo

Severus Snape landed with a sickening thud in front of a couple of guards. They gasped in shock at the condition of the man. His robes were still smoking, and his wand had been burnt beyond recognition. The scorch marks on Snape's face did not distract the men from the vacant look in his eyes. They quickly picked him up and carried him into the hideout they were close to.

As they entered the main room of the mansion, they laid Snape in front of a throne. They both bowed their head and dropped to their knees. A scathing look met them when their leader looked down at them and the near lifeless form of one of the top remaining Death Eaters. In his weakened state, he could do anything to them yet, but their punishment would be forthcoming. He would make his displeasure known in a short time.

ooo

Harry shakily stood up and walked over to Crystal and her father. His heart broke at the little girl's expression of sadness and loss. He knelt down and put his hand on her father's shoulder. John Edwards reached up and put his hand on Harry's, patting it gently.

"I'm so sorry I could not stop him," Harry choked out. His eyes filled with tears as he stared at the woman. "Let me carry your daughter while you take care of her mother. It's the least I can do."

John nodded jerkily and gathered up the distraught little girl in his arms. He hugged her tight and passed her to Harry. Crystal wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and started to cry. John gently picked up his wife, and cradled her in his arms. The crowd parted and let the four of them through. Not a word was said as they slowly waked through the crowd. Harry heard a few muffled sniffles at the sight, but no one spoke. As they reached the end of the block where the ministry forces had gathered, Hermione walked up and put her arm around Harry's shoulders. She had picked up his wand and carried it for him. The aurors were securing the few Death Eaters they had captured. Harry had a quiet discussion with one of the ministry officials about the family. Ron caught up to Harry and Hermione and put his hands on their shoulders. He pulled them into a three way hug and held tight for a minute.

Harry promised that the three of them would get together the following day to talk, as Ron was busy doing his duties and Harry was dead on his feet. The Obliviators were working fast to contain what has occurred in front of the group of muggles. Harry was about to walk away when a pair of arms stopped him.

"Mr. Potter," John said. "Thank you for trying to help save my wife. If you ever need anything, please feel free to ask me."

Harry shook his hand and nodded tiredly. Harry and Hermione slowly walked over to his car. She was watching Harry, making sure he was alright. He noticed this and stopped walking. Without a word, he gathered her in his arms and kissed her forehead. He stood there holding her, and broke down. The grief he felt over the lives lost that evening came crashing down on him. They both sank to the ground as Hermione did her best to comfort him.

Harry had calmed down after a few minutes and was just holding onto her. She was afraid he would disappear again. When she gripped him tighter to make sure he would not run for it, he simply smiled and hugged her back. They got up to go to his car and back to his house. Suddenly Harry grabbed at his scar and screamed. Hermione's face took o a look of horror, as that meant only one thing.

"Dear God," Harry said through clenched teeth. "He's back!"


	9. The Calm Before the Storm

**A/N:** A few more errors fixed here. Also added some scene separators….

**Chapter Eight**

**The Calm Before the Storm**

Harry and Hermione arrived at his home an hour later. They had ended up taking as many things from Hermione's flat as possible, that way she would not run the risk of Death Eaters coming to her home. Harry explained he had a secure floo connection to the Ministry of Magic. Otherwise they would have to walk about a mile to get outside the wards to apparate. Harry had said the address when he made the last turn that way Hermione was able to see the house because it was protected by the fidelus charm.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the sprawling mansion ahead of her. Obviously it was the Potter ancestral home, but Harry had never told anyone about it. They entered the main hall and Hermione gazed in wonder at the vaulted ceiling and the pillars with gold patterns running down them. Hermione saw some portraits just down the hall with the occupants crowding the closest frame, trying to get a look at her. Harry took her coat and made to put it in the closet by the door when a sharp pop interrupted him.

"Harry Potter sir! Dobby is glad to be seeing you!" the excited house elf squeaked. His tennis ball like eyes looked at Hermione. "Oh and you is brining the Grangey as well! Mistress Grangey, Dobby never got to properly thank you for all of the wonderful hats you made!"

Hermione stumbled and giggled at the excitable little elf. She gave Harry a disapproving look and her eyes flicked to Dobby. Harry held his hands up defensively and explained.

"Mione, don't look at me like that. Dobby would not leave me alone until I brought him here. Trust me he gets paid and the lightest workload anyone could have. Compare it to Ron doing his homework," Harry said. Hermione rolled her eyes and slightly nodded.

"Well, at least you had someone to look after you," she said. A loud yell from the portraits interrupted their conversation.

"Well for Merlin's sake, Harry, get her over here so we can meet her!" a woman's voice said. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "I saw that Harry James Potter! If I wasn't in this frame…"

Harry's face flushed crimson as Hermione raised an eyebrow. She wanted to meet the woman who could get that kind of reaction from Harry. Despite him trying to lead her to another part of the house, she made a beeline for the portrait. Harry quickly ducked behind a suit of armor that was on display in the main hall.

"Oh no you don't son, you get yourself over here!" said a man who looked like a carbon copy of Harry. Hermione recognized the man as Harry's father, James. "My you are a lovely one! Would you be a dear and bring my son over here."

Hermione grinned and nodded. She walked over to Harry and gently took his arm. He resisted a little, but a quick kiss rendered him a bit goofy and pliable. She led him over to the portrait which seemed to contain almost the entire Potter line. After a quick introduction to the most recent members of the family, Hermione fixed her gaze on Harry's mother, Lily.

"Were you the one who yelled at him?" Hermione asked. After receiving a nod and a smile, Hermione proceeded to talk to Lily for a bit. James motioned Harry over to another frame and started to chat with him.

"Harry, is that the Mione that you kept talking about?" James asked with a grin. Harry merely nodded sheepishly. "Well, she is definitely a catch I must say. So have you finally told her how you feel about her?"

"Yeah I did, Dad. I thought she would have laughed at me and told me I was a nutter. But it turns out that she felt the same way," Harry said with a lopsided grin. "I got some more of the story with Ginny. It turns out she was a seer. She had seen what was supposed to happen. Dad, I was supposed to lose that day. Sure Voldemort would have probably been taken down, but the effort was eventually supposed to kill me. Then his followers would have continued his ambitions. What I mean to say is that she died to save me!"

James looked at his son with compassion. Harry was furiously wiping tears out of his eyes at the memory and what had happened that day. While Harry was recomposing himself, he had signaled to Lily that Hermione was needed to help Harry. Harry felt a small pair of arms wrap around his waist trying to turn him around. When Hermione saw his pain filled expression she pulled him into a hug. He sank to the floor pulling her with him. His emotions surged to the surface. He buried his face into her shoulder and cried. Silent sobs racked his body as she held him and whispered soothing words to him.

Lily could barely watch her son go through this and not be able to hold and comfort him. She caught Hermione's gaze and nodded. Hermione tightened her grip on Harry trying to make up for Lily not being able to help him. They sat like that for quite a while, until Harry was able to talk again.

"Thanks," he said quietly. She responded with a gentle kiss, and pulled him back to her.

They spent another hour talking with his parents about menial things. When the question was raised why they were dressed up quite a bit, they told the tale of their dinner. When Harry mentioned the little girl he befriended, his expression fell.

"Harry? Why are you sad all of a sudden?" Lily asked. When he merely shrugged, her gaze hardened. "Harry, tell me what happened after dinner."

Harry looked at his feet and sighed. He told them of how the battle suddenly erupted in the middle of the street. He detailed every move he made and to Hermione's surprise, her movements as well. When he came to the part of the tale about Crystal's mother, he choked on the words and faltered. He described how her mother died and his eyes turned to ice as he mentioned who had killed her. Lily gasped.

"Severus did it?" she whispered. Harry nodded. "Oh Harry, tell me you didn't fight him!"

"I did mum," Harry said darkly. "And I beat him. I don't know if he survived, but I know I was close to killing him right there."

"Harry, why did you fight him? He managed to kill Dumbledore! How could you put yourself at that risk? No one who was able to kill Dumbledore should be trifled with!" Lily ranted. James put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. She took a deep breath and continued. "How badly where you hurt?"

Harry showed them the slight rip in his pants where the reductor curse hat hit his leg. He told them of the cruciatus curse, and how he had fought it. James whistled in amazement as Harry described it.

"Harry, how did you do it?" James asked.

"Well Dad, it comes from my extensive occlumency training and skills. The cruciatus curse makes your mind believe that the pain is real. If you occlude your mind enough, it blocks most of it out." Harry explained. "And there is one more thing I need to tell you two."

Lily waited for Harry to say something, but he was hesitating. It was then that Harry pushed his hair back and Lily gasped. His scar was back and it looked like it had been bleeding recently. He eyes met Harry's, and she shook her head disbelievingly. Harry nodded and his expression turned grim.

"Yes mum, he's back again," Harry said. "He's not up to full power yet, but I was so tired from the battle, my shields were not up to their usual levels. I think someone found Snape and brought him before Voldemort. Tom isn't happy about it."

James stifled a quick chuckle at Harry's choice of words. He sobered up quickly when Lily fixed her glare at him. Harry grinned and shook his head at his parents. Even though they were dead, his mother could still intimidate his dad. They all said good night to each other as Harry and Hermione were dead on their feet. Harry led her upstairs and showed her the guest room. He bid her a good night sleep, and turned to go to his room. When he reached the door, he found that Hermione had followed him. He smacked his forehead and leaned in to give her a good night kiss, berating himself for forgetting. She accepted his kiss, and pushed past him and proceeded into his bedroom. He stood there gaping like a fish out of water as she proceeded to start putting her clothes into the wardrobe next to his, and she disappeared into the bathroom to put the rest of her things in there. She came out of the bathroom and looked at him. He was still in the same spot, and the expression on his face was priceless.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Hermione asked. She sat on the edge of his bed and watched him. Harry finally gained use of his voice again.

"Uh, Hermione? Er… You know that this is my bedroom, right?" he stammered. She just nodded. "Oh, right. Yeah I guess you would notice that."

Hermione smiled and stood up and crossed the room to stand in front of him. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. She smiled and the slight shiver of his body when she did that. She laid her hands on his chest.

"Harry? Could you do something for me?" she asked. She turned around so her back was to him. "Could you please unzip my dress?" She grinned when his breathing rate suddenly increased.

"Er.. No problem," he stuttered. His desperately tried to keep his cool, but his heart was pounding, threatening to break out of his chest. He smoothly and slowly unzipped the back of her dress. He managed to hide the fact his hands were shaking. He was a bit unnerved that he could face down a powerful group of Death Eaters, but he was scared to even do this to Hermione. Granted they were now an item, but he had never been in this kind of situation before.

She could feel his nervous movements even though he was trying desperately to hide them. She was nervous as well, but she concealed it well. He finished with the zipper, and dropped his hands. She turned her head and nodded her thanks with a sultry smile. She picked up her bag and went into the bathroom to shower. She left the door open just a bit and heard Harry muttering to himself, cursing his nervousness. She started the shower and stepped in and let the hot water loosen her stiff back.

Harry was at a loss of what to do. He knew he had no idea what to do next, but he was not about to admit that in front of Hermione. He sat on the edge of the bed and picked up a decorative crystal ball and rolled it around in his hands trying to calm himself. What happened next made him drop the crystal ball in shock.

"Harry?" Hermione called from the bathroom. "Do you want to join me?" She knew that Harry would not do it, but she wanted to mess with his head a bit. She heard something hit the floor hard. She giggled at his reaction. Hermione knew he was definitely interested in her, but he was not ready for jumping in that fast. But his head poking through the doorway made her jump.

"Not this time, but I might call in the offer soon," he said impishly. She heard the challenging tone in his voice. She was startled that he would poke his head in, so she decided to retaliate. She knew that the door to the shower was somewhat transparent, so she turned around to face him with an equally impish grin. She watched his eyes quickly widen at seeing her like this, and his eyes shot to the ceiling. "Sorry, I didn't mean to look…"

She giggled at his reaction and turned back around. He was such a gentleman about certain things. She finished rinsing her hair out and turned off the shower. She turned around to see that only Harry's arm was visible, and he was levitating a towel for her to use. She took the towel out of the air and wrapped it around herself.

"Ok Harry, I'm covered, you can stop hiding now," she said as she was using her wand to dry her hair. His face came back into view and he looked down at the floor, blushing to his roots. She walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "The shower is yours. And when you are done, let me look at the wound on your leg."

Harry nodded and let her out of the bathroom. He grimaced as he pulled off his slacks and they brushed against his injury. He quickly scrubbed his hair and cleaned his leg the best he could, hissing when the soap soaked into the wound. He stood under the hot shower attempting to relax his muscles. '_What has gotten into Hermione? I have never known her to be that forward,_' he thought to himself. '_How do I deal with this kind of thing?_' He decided as much as it embarrassed him, he would have to have 'The Talk' with his father's portrait. After locking the room he would do this in down nice and tight, of course. He would never live it down if Hermione caught him doing that.

He finished his shower and dried off. He put on a pair of sleeping shorts and a shirt. He walked out to his room and stopped suddenly, seeing Hermione in just an over large sleeping shirt. His breath hitched in his chest and he fought the urge to act on his desires. Hermione could see he was struggling with himself. At least she could tell he wanted to be with her, but he was fighting it for reasons only known to him. She got up from the bed and walked over to him. She took his hand and led him to a chair next to the bed. She took out her wand and started to heal his wound. When she was finished he breathed a sigh of relief from the pain it had been causing.

"Harry? Are you coming to bed?" she asked as she slid under the covers of his bed. His heart went into overdrive and he started to sweat.

""I'll be right back," he said. "I-I need a few minutes." He raced out of the room and bounded down to the study. "Dad! I need your help!"

James rushed into the portrait expecting a major problem. But when he arrived in the portrait, he saw Harry wringing his hands and looking awfully nervous. He chuckled when he made the connection.

"Ah, so you finally need 'the talk' eh, Harry" James laughed. Lily rushed into the portrait as well looking concerned. James glanced at Harry only to see him mortified that she was in the same portrait. James leaned over and whispered into Lily's ear. Her eyes widened and she let out a squeak. She quickly exited the portrait. Harry waved his hand and several locking spells made the study a veritable fortress.

"Well, sort of. I know how things go, but I am clueless to the signals she is putting out. I just need advice on what to do in response," Harry said.

"Ok Harry. I kind of guessed you would know a bit about it, but the signals are different for every woman," James said. "Now tell me all of it."

After about a half hour of Harry explaining what had been going on, and what his reactions were like, they discussed what it could mean. James came to the conclusion that Harry wanted to, but he was nervous and possibly not quite ready for that step. James told Harry that it would be fine if they slept in the same bed, but to only go father when Harry was ready for that step. Harry felt a bit better, but still a bit nervous of what could happen. He didn't want to mess the relationship up. He wandered back up to his room, to see Hermione reading a book in bed. She looked up when he entered and smiled.

"Have a nice _talk_ with your dad?" she asked with a grin. His shocked face and sudden stop was enough of an answer for her. "Oh don't worry, I don't bite. I can probably guess you are not ready for _that _step, but I still want to be with you."

Harry sighed with relief that he wouldn't have to try and explain. He quickly crossed the room and slid into the bed next to her. She marked her page and put the book aside. He waved his hand and the lights went out. She scooted over and snuggled up against him and smiled. Harry wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss that left her breathless and dizzy. They cuddled together and after a short while, they were both fast asleep with smiles on their faces.

ooo

Harry awoke at his usual time of five am, but found he could not move. The source of this was a peacefully sleeping Hermione who had wrapped herself around him. Every time he would try to slip out of her grasp to do his morning run, she would just tighten her hold on him. He soon gave up as he did not have the heart to wake her up. He brushed a stray curl from her face, which caused her to smile faintly and tighten her hold even more. Harry just laid there and watched her sleep. He eventually dozed off again, holding Hermione in his arms.

Hermione woke up around half eight, and watched Harry sleep. She was getting hungry, so she tried to wake Harry gently. She first tried touching his nose with her finger tip. When that didn't work, she nuzzled his cheek with her nose. That didn't seem to work either. She finally got a bit impatient, and just outright kissed him senseless. To her surprise he responded right away. Her mind made the sudden connection.

"Harry! You were awake the whole time?" she said. He just gave her a goofy grin.

"Well, I had to get a good morning kiss somehow," Harry said. She smiled at him and kissed him again.

"Honestly, you should know you don't have to try and sneak one. All you have to do is go for it," Hermione said. "You know that right?

Harry took the hint and tackled her. He drew her into a heart stopping kiss, only stopping when air because a desperate need. They took turns in the shower and got dressed for the day. They made their way towards the kitchen, only to be taunted by Harry's father, doing a couple of catcalls at Hermione. Lily rescued them by chasing James from his portrait. When they entered the kitchen to make breakfast and tea, Dobby popped in and assisted them, grumbling like every other day.

"Harry, why is Dobby grumbling about you?" Hermione asked.

"Well, when I took Dobby in, I set a rule for him. I help cook every meal and he is not allowed to start cooking anything unless I enter the kitchen. He's been after me for the last year about that one," Harry explained. "The rule only applies if I am in the house at the time. If I am traveling for an extended trip, he can do what he wants."

Hermione smiled at Dobby's good natured grumbling about the 'Great and stubborn Harry Potter'. She helped cook some breakfast despite Dobby starting to grumble about her help as well. They enjoyed a nice breakfast with Dobby sitting with them. Dobby explained that Harry had insisted that Dobby was to sit with him and eat as well. Harry launched into the time he had set that as a rule and how Dobby had fought it tooth and nail, before sobbing about Harry being a great and generous wizard and giving in.

The finished breakfast and cleaned up. Harry and Hermione relaxed a bit on the front porch in a swing, and they had their morning tea. They finally got up to face the day, and the threat that re-appeared over the night. They took the floo to the Ministry, only to have Harry recognized and hundreds of people tried to get a glimpse of Harry. Shouts were heard and the news spread like wildfire that Harry Potter had returned. They were accosted by a couple of the Aurors and escorted to their headquarters. There they found Ron, looking tired and distraught.

"Ron?" Harry said. "What's wrong?" Ron looked up and sighed.

"It's Luna, Harry. They found her dead this morning," Ron whispered. "Something else was there. The Dark mark was above her flat. But it looks like she put up one hell of a fight. There were two dead Death Eaters in front of her."

"It's started then," Harry said. "Though I think you should know Ron, Voldemort is back."

Ron shuddered at the name, but he nodded. Harry sat down and though of some fond memories he had of Luna. He smiled to himself as he remembered her butterbeer cork necklace she had always worn. Hermione sat down, wiping tears from her eyes. She may not have always agreed with some of Luna's views, but it was hard not to like her.

Ron sat for a few moments and collected himself. He was about to go into his office when Kingsley Shacklebolt walked up to the three of them. His face was set in a grim line and he looked reluctant to say anything in front of Ron. Ron looked at his boss and motioned for him to say what he had to.

"This is going to be hard for you three to hear, but we got a call from Hogwarts this morning," he said. He hesitated again and looked sorrowfully at Ron. "Well, I guess I should just say it, before Weasley here gets me. They called about a grave that had been dug up." Harry's face twisted in rage and horror, and Ron looked sick to his stomach.

"Ginny's," Ron said weakly. Kingsley just nodded and slowly backed away. Ron stumbled and fell onto his backside, clearly stunned from the information. Hermione quickly rushed to Ron's side and helped him into a chair. Sharon had been fetched by one of the other Aurors and she came rushing into the room and took Ron into a firm hug. The three of them looked over to Harry, who was literally shaking with rage. His eyes were starting to glow with an eerie green light. Ron motioned for Hermione to help Harry calm down, before they lost the office. She reached out to Harry and he suddenly relaxed with her touch. He closed his eyes and dropped his head, and sat quietly for a moment. When he looked up, his eyes were burning with determination.

"Well get them Ron, every last one of them," Harry growled. "I swear I will not quit until they all pay for what they have done."


	10. Getting Closer

**Chapter Nine**

**Getting Closer…**

The three of them arrived outside of the Hogwarts gates. They were greeted by the Headmistress of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they made their way to the grave site. Harry's eyes locked onto Ginny's casket. He raced over to it with Ron and Hermione right behind him. Harry reached for the casket, and then stopped. He gently reached out to it and grabbed a handle. Pulling it up ever so slightly, he realized she was still inside the casket. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked over to Ron.

"What did they do Harry? Why would they dig her casket from the ground and leave her in there?" Ron asked quietly. A shadow passed over Harry's face and he reached for the casket again. Then he noticed that the lid had been pried loose already. He cast a quick worried glance at Ron. Ron nodded and Harry pulled open the lid. Harry fought back a sob that was creeping up and looked at Ginny's body. Due to the preservation charms, she was almost like he remembered her. But he guessed the charms were starting to fade due to her slightly sunken in appearance. He waved his wand for a quick scan and only found the preservation charms on her body.

"Well the good news is they did not mess with her at all," Harry said. He was about to close the casket when he noticed the pendant he gave to her was missing. "Hang on, they took her pendant!"

Ron's face clouded over in confusion, but Hermione was curious. Her mind worked furiously for a few moments while Harry and Ron gently lowered Ginny's casket back down into the grave. Harry's eyes were moist as he waved his wand to replace the earth that had been covering Ginny. He put a hand on Ron's shoulder as he faced away from the grave.

"Ron, I know I have said this before, but I am so sorry she's gone," Harry whispered quietly. Ron reached up and put his hand over Harry's.

"I know Harry, but we need to move on. Ginny would hex us into the next millennium if she saw us now," Ron said. "She wouldn't want us to dwell in the past."

Harry released his hand and conjured a bouquet of roses and laid them at the headstone. He kissed his finger tips and pressed them to the picture of Ginny, who was waving and smiling. He let out a shaky breath and felt Hermione put her arms around him from behind. He leaned into her and looked up at the sky. A couple of tears spilled out of his eyes. A voice from behind them made them all jump.

"Ron's right you know, I would," the voice said. They spun around to see a transparent Ginny floating behind them. "How are the three of you?"

Ron stood there gaping like a landed fish, while Harry and Hermione were staring at Ginny with confusion.

"Ginny, how is it that you're here? I thought you made peace with everything and finished what you needed to. I thought that you would have moved on right away," Hermione said. Ginny smiled and shook her head.

"So did I. But there was one thing I needed to make sure of before I moved on. I figured it out about a year or so of floating around here," she said with a wry smile. Harry looked a bit confused.

"So what was it? What kept you here?" he asked.

"You did Harry. I was sort of there in the hospital wing when you lost it. Before you lost control, I was about to move on. But as soon as you disappeared, the way forward was blocked. I wondered what to do for the longest time, and I kept trying to figure out what to do. I was able to move to other locations, but I could not make myself seen. But I was able to watch," she explained. "When you finally admitted your feelings for him Hermione, is when I figured it out. Thank you for keep your promise to me. He deserves to be happy."

Hermione cracked a small grin and put her hand in Harry's. Ginny smiled and nodded. Ron reached out to touch her hand, and Ginny met him halfway. She was able to concentrate just enough to get a second's worth of solid contact before she started to fade.

"Harry, you need to let me go. I know you will be happy with her. Please, don't hold back your feelings because you think you would offend my memory. You would offend my memory if you sealed yourself off from everyone," Ginny said. "Hermione, take care of him, he needs it whether he admits it or not."

"Ginny before you go, I have a question," Hermione said. Ginny nodded for her to continue. "Well, two days ago when Harry and I finally talked about it, well we kissed and then we felt a warm breeze flow right through us. That was you, wasn't it?" Ginny nodded and smiled.

"Yes it was me that did that. I was so happy when you two finally got it worked out. I knew then that Harry would be ok," she said. "My time is short, because I can feel the pull now. Harry, it was Draco who did this to my grave. Don't hurt him too badly, as he had a wand pressed to his temple while he did this. He didn't want to, but they would have killed him. He didn't even touch my body itself. He just levitated the pendant off of me." She looked up and behind her and nodded. "It's time for me to go. Ron, give mum and dad a big hug from me please. And tell them that I am having a great time learning about 'baby Harry'!" she said with a wink. Harry went a bit red at this.

"Bloody hell, my parents have their claws in you don't they!" Harry said. Ginny nodded.

"Yeah, they are they ones coming to get me," she said cheekily. Harry chuckled to himself.

"Well I have a message for you to give to my dad. Tell him thanks for the great '_talk_' he gave me!" Harry said. Hermione let out a scandalized huff and clipped him on the back of the head. "Ow! Easy, I just want Ginny to make him embarrassed for me."

Ginny shook her head at his antics and waved goodbye to the group and floated up into the air and disappeared forever. Ron stood there staring at the spot that Ginny had faded from. He was shaken out of his memories by Harry pulling him into a one armed hug. Ron gave him a quick hug back.

The three of them went to the Headmistress' office. They gave a quick rundown on what they had found out. Harry separated from the group and went over to Dumbledore's portrait. Harry saw him feigning sleep, because after Harry sighed in annoyance, he saw the corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitch. Harry got his wand out and poked the painting sharply. Harry huffed as this was Dumbledore's favorite new game, to annoy Harry.

"Alright Albus," Harry said. "I'll give you to the count of three before I get a bit rough. One… Two… Alright, you asked for it!"

Hermione shrieked in horror as Harry conjured up a ball of fire and was moving towards Dumbledore's portrait. She started to get up and run to stop him, when Minerva stopped her. She gave a pointed look that said, 'just wait and see what happens'. Hermione watched as Harry grinned mischievously and flicked his wand at the portrait. The fireball disappeared and Dumbledore let out a surprised yelp as he shot up from his chair. He rubbed his slightly burned bottom and glared good naturedly at Harry.

"Alas, I knew I should have not given you the name and location of that enchanter," Albus said, his eyes even twinkled in his portrait. "Now that you have won this round, Harry, could you please cancel the enchantment on my chair in here? I would like to be able to sit down."

Harry nodded and made a complex series of motions with his wand. Albus tested his chair and smiled appreciatively. Harry settled into a chair right in front of Albus' portrait. Harry glanced at Hermione and smiled. He put up a privacy charm so he could run his ideas over Albus before he talked with the others. Hermione was a bit annoyed at Harry, but he just gave her a small smile and wink, and motioned for her to be patient for just a minute. She nodded, but she wasn't thrilled about being left out of the loop.

Hermione and Minerva made some small talk as Harry appeared to be in a quick but deep conversation with Albus. A few minutes later the privacy charm was dropped and Harry made his way over to the group. He sat down and took a deep breath.

"Ok, from what I understand from what Albus and I were discussing, I think I know why the pendant was taken. During the final battle those years ago, there was a point when Voldemort stopped fighting the curse and was staring at Ginny. I think he transferred his soul to her pendant as a horcrux," Harry said. "It seems when I released the binding spell he had on himself to protect his remaining part of his soul, it enabled him to do that. That's how he was able to come back last night." Minerva gasped at the information.

"My word! He's back again?" Minerva exclaimed.

"Yes he is. I can tell," Harry said pointing to his scar. "Now another thing is bugging me. Ginny said that Draco was the one who took the pendant from her, but we fought him last night. Which one was the real Draco?" Ron cleared his throat.

"I can answer that one, Harry. It turns out shortly after you left last night; the polyjuice on 'Malfoy' wore off. We found out that it was Nott. He bragged that Malfoy had another project that had to be covert. He admitted this under veritaserum," Ron explained. He took a drink of water and continued. "We got a total of six Death Eaters last night thanks to you two. But the rest left before your duel with Snape was done."

Minerva's head snapped to Harry, and her expression darkened. Harry shrank under her gaze, thinking she was going to yell at him for dueling Snape. Her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes flashed for a moment.

"What was the outcome of the duel Harry? Did you kill him?" she asked hopefully. Harry did a double take at her before answering her.

"I'm not sure if I did. I know that if I didn't, he won't be able to anything for the near future. I threw enough power at him to either kill him, or wipe his mind. All I know is that his hand must have accidentally hit his portkey and he never even landed. Oh, and Tom is none too happy about that either!" Harry finished cheekily. Minerva breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, nothing you could do is good enough for that traitor!" she snapped. The three of them stared at her with surprise at her comment. Minerva looked back at them pointedly. "Albus was one of my greatest friends. Snape murdered him in cold blood. I don't care if Albus was already frail, he could have pulled through it. But that bastard just had to…" she trailed off.

Harry sat back in shock at hearing the normally strict and reserved headmistress before him rant about Snape. He knew there was always a bit of rivalry between the two of them, but he now realized that Snape had made an enemy forever. He leaned over and put his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. She gave a rarely seen smile in return.

They had a quiet lunch and Minerva grilled Harry for details on what he had been up to for the last few years. He explained about the things he had done and Minerva was as excited as Hermione was about the enchanting. Ron was even interested about the details of that subject. Harry was hounded by the two women into running to his home quickly to get the sword he had made. Hermione was especially adamant about it since he was supposed to show her the previous night.

Harry arrived back around fifteen minutes later with his sword in its scabbard, slung across his back. He lifted the sword off of his back and laid it on the table in the center of the office. Hermione gazed at the intricately designed scabbard, and could only imagine what the blade would look like. She reached out hesitantly to draw the sword, and glanced at Harry to make sure it was ok to do so. He nodded and she took a deep breath. She drew the sword from the scabbard. She marveled at the beauty of the weapon. The hilt was covered in gold, and the blade had multiple runes etched into the base of the blade.

Harry watched her with amusement as she read the runes and deciphered them right there. She looked at Harry with wide eyes on what he had written there. He nodded and smiled. Ron took the blade from Hermione and backed up so he could test it and not hit anything in the office. He whipped the blade around in a basic warm up. When he was finished, he laid the sword back on the table and noticed that Hermione looked excited about something.

"Hermione? What's got you so worked up?" Ron asked.

"It's what Harry etched onto the blade. See those runes there?" she said pointing to the base of the blade. Ron nodded and looked back up at her. "Well the runes are a bit more modern than they teach here but they mean the same thing. Translated it means: '_Pierce the heart of darkness, and the darkness within shall be taken from the heart. Only light shall remain, and the judgment shall be swift_.' Harry, do you realize what this means? You can use this against Voldemort!" Harry nodded and chuckled wryly.

"When I created the sword, I made it so that if any other dark lord showed up, I could use it on them. The way the sword works is that if the sword pierces the heart of a dark lord, the magic will separate the darkness in them from their soul. It would be channeled through the handle of the sword and stored in this jewel here," Harry said and pointed to the end of the handle. "Then the other enchantment will be a spell that will force the mind to replay all of the evil things they have done. Now when the dark taint has been removed, it restores a section of their compassion. The judgment would depend on how bad their transgressions were. The result could be anywhere from ashamed to completely insane."

The other three people in the room were stunned by what Harry had just told them. Harry broke them out of their thoughts.

"There is only one problem with the sword," he said looking at his feet.

"What's the one problem with it, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously. Harry sighed and looked frustrated with himself.

"Er, it doesn't work yet," he said. At their spluttering replies, he held up his hand to have them let him explain. "It seems that the second enchantment did not take. I ran into a rising Dark Lord in Mexico last month. After a bit of a fight, I managed to get him with the sword. His dark taint had been removed, but then he just didn't care about what he had done. His power level was a bit less without the dark arts helping them along, but he didn't even twitch when the second enchantment should have hit him. He calmly asked me if I could pull the sword out, and then just walked away. He didn't have the desire to fight anymore, but he showed no remorse for anyone he had killed. I ended up turning him in for his crimes, but he just didn't care. So that meant I did not do the second part right. And unfortunately, because I have to remove the enchantments to re-apply them, taking them off will destroy the sword. So I will have to start from scratch again."

"Harry, what happened to the second enchantment that it did not work?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged and pondered this question.

"I'm not sure, but I will need to do some research on it," he said. Hermione told him she would help him with his research, especially since she had access to Department of Mysteries materials. Harry, Hermione, and Ron took their leave and said goodbye to Albus and promising an update for Minerva very soon. As they were leaving Minerva had a quick conversation with Albus, and stopped them at the door.

"Harry might I ask you a favor please?" she asked. He nodded his head in reply. Minerva walked up to Harry and reached out with her hand, holding a ring with a phoenix on it. "Albus would be delighted to see you lead the Order of the Phoenix."

Harry stood there with his jaw on the floor. He had not expected this at all. He looked over at Hermione to see her silently begging him to accept. He knew he was probably everyone's favorite to lead the group, but he wasn't so sure of his ability to lead. He came to a decision.

"I will only accept the ring if the three of us are the leaders. I know everyone wants me to lead it, but I can't lead the Order without the help of Hermione and Ron," Harry said. Without missing a beat both Minerva and Albus' portraits answered his concession.

"Of course!" they chorused. Minerva spoke next.

"We had planned on the fact you would do such a thing. We knew that you would not do anything without those two at your side," she said explaining why they agreed so fast. She held out her other hand and handed each of them one of the Order's rings. She smiled as all three of them put the rings on and a brief flash of magic flared from them. She was about to dismiss them when there was a burst of fire from the far end of the office. A delighted trill of phoenix song echoed through the office.

Fawkes had been waiting for this moment for a while now. Since his dear friend Albus had died, he had been waiting for a person to bond with. That person had to have a good heart and a desire to bring happiness to others no matter the cost. When Harry put aside his own pursuits to lead the order, he became the perfect companion for Fawkes. The plus side is that Fawkes always had a soft spot for the black haired boy who visited his friend so many times. Fawkes flew towards the group and landed on Harry's shoulder. He nuzzled Harry's head and let out a content sigh.

Harry on the other hand was stunned into silence. No one had seen Fawkes since Albus' funeral four years prior. He hesitantly ran his hand over Fawkes' feathers, bringing another content sigh from the phoenix. He looked over at Albus, but he was just smiling and twinkling away. Harry shook his head and walked over to the portrait.

"You knew he would do this when I took the ring didn't you?" Harry asked. Albus nodded in reply.

"Of course, my boy! He and I had many discussions about this in my final weeks. He knew that he wanted to become your companion when I passed on, no matter how long he had to wait. I offered him an option to join you earlier, but he would not hear of it. He told me he would wait until it was time for him to bond with you," Albus explained.

"Sir? How were you able to talk with him?" Harry asked. He was eager to converse with Fawkes, knowing that Fawkes would have a few amusing stories to tell.

"Patience, my boy. It will happen in time. It will take a while to build up the connection between the two of you," Albus said. "Don't try to force it, as it could hurt both you and Fawkes. It will just happen over time." Harry nodded and continued to stroke Fawkes' plumage.

"Well thank you again, Albus," Harry said. "I will keep the two of you updated on what we should do next. I think we have a bit of time before Voldemort is ready to strike."

Everyone agreed and the trio left the office. Minerva watched them leave the gates from her office window. She smiled to herself as she saw the three of them talking with each other like they had while they were students there. She walked back to her desk and composed a note to the rest of the Order and duplicated the letter as many times as was needed to reach everyone. When she had finished the letters, she walked over to the fireplace in the office. She sent the letters through a special way to ensure everyone would get one of the letters.

Minerva McGonagall sat back at her desk and pondered the latest events. The sudden resurgence of Voldemort and his followers was shocking, including such a sudden and bold attack. She proceeded to draft a letter to the Minister for Magic, hoping that Rufus would act quickly to protect the wizarding world.

ooo

Harry, Hermione and Ron arrived back at Auror headquarters so Ron could file his report. While he was writing his report, Hermione took Harry to the Department of Mysteries so Gavin could meet Harry. Hermione knocked on the door and led Harry in. Gavin stood up to greet him.

"Well Harry, it's an honor to finally meet you," he said while shaking Harry's hand. They conversed for a while longer while Hermione finished a bit of her paperwork. She had got the feeling from Harry that he was not too comfortable in the department. She rescued him soon enough and they made their way back to the auror's offices. Harry got a few funny looks at the sword slung on his back, but he just ignored them.

When Ron had finally finished his report, Sharon joined the three of them and they all went out for dinner. They chatted the night away, attempting to make sure they would have one last night of fun before the next war started. The conversation turned to updating Sharon on what was going on. She was a staunch supporter of the light, so Harry invited her to the next Order meeting so they could induct her properly.

After dinner Harry and Hermione went back to his house. Hermione proceeded to raid the library in his house, trying to find books on enchantments. She busied herself in books while Harry went to his workout room to practice. He shut the door and drew the sword. He dressed himself in a pair of thin pants, and a tight sleeveless shirt. He stretched himself out. He did a small warm up to loosen his limbs up. He stepped into a marked area and a training dummy animated so he could do some sparring.

For the next hour, Harry and the training dummy fought back and forth, neither one backing down. Harry had not noticed, but Hermione had entered the room halfway through his session.

Hermione watched in awe as Harry moved at almost superhuman speeds dodging and parrying the blows from the training dummy, all while attempting to fight back. Her eyes took in his strong body. '_Well_,' she thought to herself while fighting her flushing face, '_Harry has most definitely kept himself in shape._' She almost had to fan herself to fight the heat that was gathering in her face. Harry's well muscled upper body had come a long way from the wiry body he had while he played quidditch. Her daydreaming was interrupted by a loud yell from Harry.

Harry yelled in triumph as he managed to catch the training dummy with a very complex move. He parried a blow and slightly twisted his wrist so the blade would catch the opponent's blade at an awkward angle and with a flick of his wrist the blades connected and he was able to send his opponent's sword across the room. The dummy made the gesture for yielding in a duel, and Harry set down his weapon and stepped back. He heard a soft whistle behind him and he whipped around to see Hermione staring at his with a strange look in her eyes. He blushed down to his roots and smiled shyly. Hermione got up and walked towards him. She got within a few inches of him and then wrinkled her nose.

"Ewww, you kind of stink, luv," she said. He grinned and suddenly snatched her and pulled her close. "Oh! Harry that's gross! Why you, now I'll have to take a shower!"

He just grinned at her and kissed her soundly. She leaned into his kiss and wrapped her arms around him giving up. They kept going until they needed to break for air, and they rested their foreheads against each other's staring into each others eyes. Harry noticed a fire in her eyes that made him heat up a bit more than he already was. She let go of him and started leaving the room. He stood there trying to gain control again when she turned and looked at him.

"I'm going to go and take a shower," she said. She gave him a wink and a smile. His heart fluttered in his chest as she undid a couple of her blouse button as she said this. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this and she noticed his hesitation. She walked back to him and put her hands on his chest. "Please, just come with me."

Hermione reached up and pulled him into another heart stopping kiss. He lifted her up and returned the kiss. When they broke apart again, he finally said something.

"Mione, I'm not sure this is a good idea yet," he said huskily. "But if you keep that up, I might lose control." Hermione smiled at this and looked into his eyes.

"But Harry, think about it, that's what love is. It's something you cannot control and you shouldn't fight. I'm not trying to force you into anything, but you just have to let go," she said. "I know you are trying to make sure you are ready, but understand this. I will never let you go. You will never lose me, even if I am dead, that won't stop me from loving you."

Harry smiled and nodded. He did understand, but he needed a bit more time. It wasn't that he didn't love her and didn't want to be with her. He had been gone for four years and he had changed. He thought about things more thoroughly these days, and his mind was telling him it was a bit too soon. As he stood there, his mind was losing the fight to his heart. His heart was telling him to just let go. Hermione saw the conflict and put her hands on his chest and leaned against him. He held her close and felt her smile against his chest. They stood like that for quite a while, until Hermione broke the silence.

"Alright Harry, I can wait as long as it takes. But instead of a shower, how about a swim in your pool?" she said. She felt him sigh just a bit, almost in disappointment. She decided to go and get her suit on. "Well, I don't know about you, but I want to swim. Meet me in there if you wish."

She walked out of the room with a sly grin on her face. Harry raced past her in an effort to beat her. She took off after him and soon they were chasing each other around trying to win the race to the bedroom. Hermione won the race, but only because she had taken off her shirt and threw it into Harry's hands. With the stunned look on his face after he saw her like that, she was able to dart past him and into the room first. She grabbed her suit and a large shirt to wear down to his pool and she went into the bathroom to change. She heard him stumble into the bedroom and he bumped into something.

By the time she came back out, Harry had changed into his swim trunks. She reached out and took his hand. They walked down to the first floor and to the back room. Harry took his tee shirt off and dove into the pool right away. Hermione tested the water with her toes before she was ready to jump in. She could hear Harry happily splashing around and doing a couple of laps. She looked over her shoulder when it got quiet and saw Harry staring at her. She decided to twist the knife just a bit. She turned around to face him and took the shirt off. His reaction was priceless.

"Sweet Merlin," he whispered. She was wearing a very skimpy string bikini that highlighted everything about her.

She dove into the water and swam over to him. He had a goofy grin on his face. He gently reached out and put his arm around her waist. He pulled her close and they just stared into each other's eyes. He grin grew bigger and he leaned in to kiss her. She returned the kiss and they lost each other in the sensation. They lazily swam around and chatted for a while. When Harry made a rather cheeky remark, she splashed him right in the face. His grin turned feral and the water fight soon got out of hand when they started using magic to push the water around.

After they tired each other out, they went back upstairs. Hermione took her shower first which started with her pouting because Harry still did not join her, but at least this time he was actually standing in the doorway looking her way when she came out for a towel. She blushed a bit and laughed when he was stunned to silence again when she walked right up to him and brazenly kissed him before she took the towel.

After Harry finished his shower, he dressed just a pair of cotton sleep pants and found Hermione dressed like the night before. His heart rate sped up a bit and he climbed into the bed next to her. She placed a bookmark in the book she had been reading and moved to lay down next to him. She snuggled up close to him and he draped his arm over her waist. They both drift off to sleep, each one having some interesting dreams about the other.


	11. It Begins

**Chapter Ten**

**It Begins…**

Harry woke to see the first rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains in his room. He smiled to himself at the warm weight that was holding him down. His thoughts drifted back to the previous night and how Hermione had made it clear without any words that she was not shy at all. He closed his eyes and he took a deep breath taking in the scent of her hair. He lifted his arm from behind his head and laid it on her back. His heart felt like it suddenly went into over drive when he realized that her shirt was missing, which also produced other interesting reactions.

Hermione stirred at the sudden noise that she heard in Harry's chest. His heart sounded like thunder in her ears. She lifted her head to see what had him so worked up. It was then she realized his hand was on her back, but there was nothing between his hand and her back. Her eyes slowly opened and they flicked down to see that her shirt was indeed missing. She lifted her head and looked up at Harry. His face was red and his slight grin made her smile.

"Morning Harry," she said. He looked down at her and his eyes flicked back up.

"Good morning. Er, Mione, um, where is your shirt?" he asked. She glanced at the foot of the bed to see it had gotten tangled up with the sheets. Her eyes traveled back up his chest and she knew she was almost completely on top of him. Her face flushed a bit, but she didn't move.

"Hmmm, it must have been warm in here last night, I hope you don't mind," she said. He answered her by tightening his hold on her and he stared into her deep brown eyes.

"Of course not, Hermione," he said while his heart continued to hammer away. "It was just a surprise, that's all. It was a nice surprise, mind you."

She smiled and laid her head back down on his chest. The passed the next half hour just holding onto each other while Harry traced small circles on her back. She sighed with contentment as they just laid there. She started to get up to use the bathroom, and she heard his disappointed sigh. She put on her robe and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later she went back into the room and saw that Harry was still lying down. She grinned and tossed her robe off again and slid back into the bed and took up her previous position.

"You know, Mione, you are driving me crazy," Harry said with a grin. She smiled and shifted her position so she was completely on top of him. Harry groaned as she leaned down and she snogged him senseless. When she sat back up, Harry had a dazed grin on his face. She slipped off of him and lay back down. The next move was his to make. She had made her intentions clear, but she wanted Harry to be ready and to initiate the next step. They both jumped when there was a knock on the door.

"Harry Potter sir, would you and the mistress like breakfast in bed this morning?" Dobby asked from behind the door. Hermione hastily covered herself with the sheet and nodded to Harry.

"That would be great Dobby, and forget the rule this morning, that way I can stay here," Harry said. He heard Dobby squeak with happiness. Harry shook his head with a grin and they waited for about ten minutes. Dobby came into the room hovering two trays of a delicious looking breakfast spread. Dobby bowed low and exited the room with a soft pop.

Hermione put her robe back on and they talked over breakfast. They planned the schedule of the first Order meeting and Hermione would run it by Ron later that morning. Harry was going to his vault for some things he needed while she was working on that. He needed some of his supplies to start working on the new sword. He had decided to keep the original one for practicing with. Harry picked up his copy of the Daily Prophet and groaned at the headline.

_**Harry Potter Returns!!**_

_Harry Potter has returned to the wizarding world after a four year absence. It seems that The Boy Who Lived has arrived just in the nick of time again. He was reported to have been dining with a friend of his during his Hogwarts years, Hermione Granger._

_According to statements from eyewitnesses, the pair had been just leaving when a group of wizards in Death Eater robes attacked a large gathering of muggles in London. His heroic effort saved many lives and was also said to have dueled Albus Dumbledore's murderer, Severus Snape. _

_Not much is known about where Mr. Potter has been for the last few years, but many have offered their theories on what he has been doing. Some say he was just taking his chance to explore the world, while others he was learning the Dark Arts._

"_I saw what he did to Mr. Snape, and there is no way that spell would be used for anything but dark magic," one eyewitness said, refusing to be identified. However, John Edwards, who works in the Ministry as a senior aide to the Minister, said this: "Mr. Potter displayed a tremendous amount of courage to draw that murderer off of me and my little girl. I refuse to put any credence in the theory that Mr. Potter has gone dark on us." Sadly Mr. Edward's wife was killed in the attack, but thanks to Mr. Potter, the rest of the Edwards family will continue on._

_More on Harry Potter's history, Page 11_

_Details of the King Street Battle, Page 9_

Harry tossed the paper down and withdrew into a pensive mood, thinking about the Edwards family. Hermione picked up on this and reached out to take his hand. He squeezed her hand and smiled. They finished breakfast and dressed themselves for the day. Harry grabbed his bottomless and weightlessly charmed backpack for his supplies. Hermione grabbed her notes and prepared to go and talk to Ron about the Order meeting. They parted after a long kiss and apparated to different areas.

Harry arrived at Gringott's and marched through the large front doors. He waited in line for the next goblin. When he reached the counter, Harry bowed low and greeted the goblin. The goblin was a bit shocked that a wizard would bow to him, and snapped his fingers to summon Griphook, who had been the keeper of Harry's vault since it had been requested by Harry.

Together they rode down to Potter family vault while Griphook gave Harry the latest update on his finances and earnings from investments. Harry had wisely let most of the investments his parents had done continue, while he had put some money into a rising broom manufacturing company, and a few other similar businesses. His fortune had increased by almost a quarter of the total amount due to the success of his investments.

When they reached the vault, Harry put his hand against the door and the enormous vault door creaked and groaned open. Harry quickly went inside and started to gather the needed materials to make the sword. He grabbed a large sack of rough diamonds, a small pouch with a few aquamarines, and some of his metal mixture he had made for the original sword. The metal was still in a liquid form since once it cooled, it was very strong and would not be malleable. He picked up a gold bar so he could use the material to decorate the hilt and a large piece of leather for the grip. Meanwhile Griphook was watching what Harry took so he could update the notes for Harry's account.

Harry looked around for anything else he would need. When he saw the red velvet box on a table with other family heirlooms, he hesitated. He reached out and opened the box to see a pair of platinum bands with diamonds, rubies, and topazes laid in a beautiful pattern around the bands. He knew that his parents would approve of him using their wedding rings, but he didn't know if Hermione would want to marry him. Harry didn't think that Hermione would be ready for that, but he took them anyways and put them in his bag in a secure pocket. He finally placed a shrunken grinding stone to sharpen the sword and a set of blacksmithing tools into his pack. He was glad he bought the bag with the charms on it; otherwise the weight of the bag would have squashed him.

Harry and Griphook arrived back into the lobby about an hour later. Harry turned to Griphook and bowed.

"May your pockets always be filled with gold and your battles always be victorious," Harry said formally. Griphook took Harry's hand and shook it and bowed back. Harry departed the lobby, leaving astonished wizards and witches who had never thought to be courteous to goblins.

Harry arrived home to see Hermione rushing out the door. She called back over her shoulder as she ran saying she had to get some work done at the Ministry. She had forgotten that it was a Monday, and she had to get to work. She blew him a kiss and ran for the apparition point. He smiled to himself and shook his head.

He took the pack down to the basement and started to setup his workshop. The first thing he needed to do was to slowly heat the diamonds so they did not fracture. That would be a couple of weeks before they were soft enough to incorporate into the sword. He managed to get that going well enough, and ventured back upstairs to join Dobby for lunch. They chatted amiably Harry had to deal with some good natured ribbing from Dobby about Hermione. The teasing was stopped after Harry conjured a water balloon and it exploded on Dobby. A few hours later they were still tussling about when they were stopped by an amused sigh. They looked up to see Hermione grinning at the two of them.

Dobby and Harry looked at each other and grinned mischievously. Hermione's smile faltered, as she knew that this would not be very pleasant. She turned to run but she was tackled by Harry and Dobby and they set to tickling the stuffing out of her. They all flopped down on the floor twenty minutes later panting for air. Dobby recovered first and Harry followed him into the kitchen to work on dinner. Hermione went to the practice room to get the sword to see if she could figure out what went wrong with Harry's enchantment.

She was called to dinner and they sat down to a lovely roast duck with all the trimmings. The conversation shifted several times until Hermione asked Dobby about Winky. His ears drooped a bit and he lowered his head.

"Winky is not doing so well. With Dobby not there to keep her company, she has become like she was during Harry's great contest. Winky drinks too many butterbeers and has stopped working again. Dobby misses Winky," Dobby said in his squeaky voice. His tennis ball like eyes welled with tears, and he began to cry loudly. Hermione looked over at Harry and he shrugged.

"I tried to get her here with Dobby, Mione, but she refuses to be paid. She just won't do it," Harry said. "Winky is an old fashioned house elf and she outright refuses anything that associates her with being a free house elf. If I could have gotten her here without bonding her to me the traditional way, I would have. I just didn't because I knew you would kill me for it." Hermione nodded, and let out a small sigh.

"You're right Harry I would have been angry with you, but that was before I heard the whole situation," she said. Harry looked at her questioningly. "What I am saying Harry is that since you have tried every other way, maybe you should take her in so she is happy."

Harry let his jaw hit the floor to hear Hermione supporting taking in Winky the traditional way. He shook himself and got his bearings again. He gazed and Hermione with a new perspective and it added another reason why he loved her so much. She was willing to put her staunch dislike of the way house elves were bound to a person like a slave to make sure an elf would be happy. She had changed a bit from her views in their fourth year to the wonderful woman she was now.

"I will take care of it tomorrow then," Harry said. Hermione nodded her approval and they got up from the table to clean up. Dobby was so overjoyed at having Winky there that he banished Harry from the kitchen to clean up, saying it was a thank you present for saving Winky. Harry shrugged and walked back to his practice room. He noticed the sword was missing, so he grabbed another to run through a training round. He heard the door to the room open and Hermione appeared in some workout clothes.

"Harry, I want to learn what you know. Could you help me?" she asked. Harry frowned a bit, not liking the fact she would know things that would put her in situations that she could get hurt or killed. She saw his frown and her eyes flashed for a second. "Now listen here, Harry. I know what you are thinking about and you will stop it. I joined the Order to fight, and every advantage you could teach me will help me survive. I will not sit on the sidelines watching you run off to battle. I refuse to sit and wait to see if the man I love with all of my heart will make it back or not. If you run off to a battle, I will be right there with you watching your back."

Harry looked over at her and fought down a grin. 'Merlin is she beautiful when she gets angry!' he thought to himself. He raised his hands in defeat and traded his sword for a wooden practice sword. He handed an extra one to Hermione and he slowly walked her through the initial forms and stances. After an hour, he felt she had learned quite a bit. She was sore from head to toe, but she was thankful Harry did not put up a fight about what she had said. They finished with a slow and friendly battle to test her on what she learned. Hermione was moving a bit slower due to her sore muscles, but she performed the best she could.

Harry was impressed on how fast she was learning the basics. He ended the mock fight with a quick flick of his wrist and sent the wooden sword across the room. Hermione was amazed on how natural he made this out to be. She groaned when he said she would have to train everyday. They made their way to the bedroom. Hermione went into the bathroom to put on a one piece swimsuit and made her way down to the hot tub Harry had by his pool. He met her down there after he changed and slipped in behind her. He started to rub her shoulders and eventually her whole back. She was so relaxed from the warm water and the massage that Harry gave her; he had to make sure she didn't slip under the surface of the water. After about forty minutes, he made her get out despite her protests. They sat on the edge when Hermione spoke up.

"Harry, I forgot to mention earlier as we were occupied with other subjects. But Ron is going on a raid tonight. They got a lead on a cell of a few Death Eaters. Ron has a force of about fifteen put together to do the raid. I just thought you should know," she said while she leaned against him.

"What time is he going for the raid?" Harry asked. Hermione looked at the wall clock and she said he would be leaving within the hour. Harry nodded and started to get up. Hermione followed him and they managed to make it back upstairs to the bedroom. She started to get her things together for a shower, knowing that Harry would most likely decline her invitation again. She started for the bathroom when Harry spoke up.

"What, no invitation tonight?" he said with a twinkle in his eye. She raised an eyebrow at his sarcasm and smirked. Something in the way he said it, hinted that she should ask him again. She decided to try a new tactic.

"Well, I've tried to ask before, but the 'Great Harry Potter' is too much of a wimp to actually take me up on it. Imagine, the man who killed Voldemort is afraid of the woman he loves," she said with a challenging tone in her voice. Harry just grinned and blushed. "And since I already know you will still decline it, I won't even ask." She looked at him and he was still grinning. She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Honestly! Fine, as you wish. Harry would you like to join me for a shower tonight?"

"Sure! I'd love to!" Harry said. Her jaw hit the floor. She was so sure that he would decline again, but there he was, stripping off his clothes and walking into the bathroom. Her eyes followed him in shock. He reached the bathroom and turned around grinning at her.

"Are you coming?" he asked cheekily. Hermione's eyes traveled over his perfectly sculpted body and she rushed into the bathroom with him. After their shower, which had turned into mostly a snogging session, they went to bed. Hermione had ignored the shirt, as Harry did not seem to mind it that morning. They held on to each other and drifted off to sleep.

**ooo**

Ron and his team of Aurors were finishing up getting their gear on when the time for the raid was upon them. He checked each of his team member's gear to make sure all of the protective charms and spells were in place. He sent a nod to Kingsley Shacklebolt, signaling they were ready. Kingsley spoke up to the entire strike force.

"Listen up!" His voice boomed throughout the briefing room. Everyone snapped to attention and focused on him. "This is to be a small raid. According to our information, there are only five to six Death Eaters there at your target. Neutralize them and bring back as many as you can for questioning. Understood?"

The entire force answered in unison that they were ready. Kingsley nodded at Ron, and the force filed out of the briefing room. They arrived in the entryway of the ministry building to take a portkey to the target area. They all grabbed the portkey behind their back and their wands at the ready, so all of the angles were covered. Ron counted down for the activation, and after a few moments, the strike force was on its way.

They all landed with ease and they fanned out to find some cover. Ron made some hand signals, and a three man squad ducked to the right and disappeared around a corner. The rest of them divided into two groups and used a standard cover and move formation. After about fifteen minutes, the two groups on the ground saw the small Death Eater group entering a warehouse. Ron looked around the area. The wind was not even blowing in the slightest. The whole area was blanketed in shadows which made for a very eerie setting. The shipping crates would provide decent cover and they were scattered all over. But something was off about the situation, the whole area just felt dead. The felling left his skin crawling and he noticed that the others felt the same thing.

He made a decision to keep the raid as planned, even though his instincts told him different. He heard a metal can fall somewhere, and his head whipped in the direction it came from. After he watched for a moment, a stray cat came out and started to rummage around, making a bit of noise. Ron made a few signals with his hands and the two groups took up optimum positions for defensive firing. They were about to move in when Ron heard a dull thump behind them. He motioned for everyone to freeze. He turned around to see a robed figure lying in a twisted heap about twenty yards behind them. He silently crept back to see who it was. He reached over, turned the body over and to his horror; it was Joseph Forester, one of his snipers. Another thump ten yards away signaled that they had been setup. He raised his wand and fired off a bang with red sparks.

The air was suddenly sizzling with spells flying back and forth. The Aurors were outnumbered three to one. Ron yelled for his force to use whatever spells were necessary. The Aurors shifted tactics and the deadly spell started flying. They had begun to pull out when Ron was hit from behind with a cutting curse. His dragon hide armor took the most of it, but a bit of the spell went through his armor and left a large gash on his left side. Ron grunted but whirled around to see his attacker. '_It can't be!_' he screamed in his mind. His team had been betrayed from within. The third sniper, Corey Jorgensen was the traitor. He took aim again, but the rest of the team had caught on. He was hit by nine stunners at once, and he was sent flying off of the roof he was standing on.

One of the Aurors had caught a Death Eater, and instantly portkeyed back to headquarters when Ron yelled for a general retreat. All of the others left and Ron risked his life to return his two fallen comrades to their headquarters. He managed to do an alteration to each portkey and they both vanished. He was about to use his when a boot hit the back of his head. He crashed into the ground face first and felt his nose break. After a few moments of savage kicks from several Death Eaters, they abruptly stopped. Ron rolled over and groaned. They had broken several of his ribs, his left arm and leg, and someone had ground his right hand into the pavement cracking a couple of the bones in it. He was having trouble breathing, and his vision was darkening. His right arm was holding his ribs while his fingers were fiddling with the spell grenade that his brothers had made for him. It was charged up with one of Harry's signature reductor curses.

"Keep him awake," a high and cold voice said. Ron sucked in a deep breath when Voldemort walked up to him. "Ah, Ronald Weasley, I hope my followers have not been too damaging." Ron spit a mouthful of blood at Voldemort's robes, and hit the hem, usually where his followers kissed them. Voldemort simply chuckled. "Well, well! It seems you have grown up in the last four years. Tragic though, that you should die now, especially since you have come so far!

"So, now that you are bout to die, do you have anything you wish to say?" Voldemort said. After Ron just glared at him, Voldemort spoke up. "Come on! Where is that biting wit all of the Weasley's have, hmm?"

Voldemort signaled for his inner circle to leave and recover the injured. After a moment of glaring at each other, Ron heard a series of pops. The Death Eaters were leaving. Ron jerked his right arm and summoned his wand to himself. The wand flew into his injured left hand and Voldemort looked at his feet. The spell grenade had been released. Voldemort instantly disapparated and left his followers behind. Ron tapped his Order of the Phoenix ring with his wand, and raised a weak shield.

Ron's life flashed before his eyes as the spell grenade went off. His days being lazy with Harry, their friendship with Hermione, and the last thing he remembered seeing was Sharon's smiling face when the blast wave hit him and his world brutally slammed to black.

**ooo**

Harry and Hermione shot out of bed when they felt the Order's rings suddenly send a sharp pain up their arms. They dressed quickly, and Harry tore through the house to the armory. He grabbed a small set of dragon hide armor and set it out for Hermione to wear. She was only a moment behind him and she put on the armor quickly. He handed her a short sword and he grabbed his battle sword and they slung them over their backs.

They focused on the ring's signature and apparated to the location. When they arrived, debris was still falling all over. Harry gasped as he looked at the devastated area and recognized the blast pattern. The mangled bodies of about twelve Death Eaters were scattered about. Ron had set off the grenade that Harry had charged with a reductor curse the day before. It was to have been used as a last resort.

Harry frantically began to move the rubble trying to find Ron. Hermione was halfway across the yard when she heard Harry scream in rage and horror. She rushed to see Harry had pulled Ron onto his lap. Hermione's breath hitched in her throat when she looked at Ron. His face was unrecognizable from cuts and blood, and half of the bones in his body were at all the wrong angles. Harry's eyes were glowing green again, and Hermione rushed to his side. She put a calming hand on Harry's shoulder and she activated her emergency portkey that landed them right into the emergency room of St. Mungo's.

"HELP US! FOR MERLIN"S SAKE SOMEONE HELP US!" Harry screamed. Three healers rushed through the doorway and helped put Ron onto a stretcher and the got him inside. Hermione collapsed into Harry's arms and they stayed that way while they waited to see if their best friend would live or not.

**A/N:** My goodness!!! I re-read this and found MANY spelling errors. I have found all of them now I think, and fixed them up. I also added a bit more to the chapter to describe a setting a bit more. Thanks to Particle Accelerator for his review which brought a few things to my attention.

I know that some of my be upset at the turn of events, but don't lose faith yet…. It gets better….


	12. A New Path

**A/N:** Hello everyone. Thanks for tuning in again. A special thanks to a great reader, Particle Accelerator. He has helped me quite a bit with his great reviews and suggestions!

FYI: I have changed my pen name…

Now, Enjoy!

**Chapter Eleven**

**A New Path**

Harry sat and held a softly crying Hermione when Arthur and Molly Weasley came bursting through the door. They looked around wildly until they spotted Harry, who was covered in blood, holding onto Hermione. As soon as they started to move towards him, Sharon crashed through the doors with a panicked look and tear tracks running down her face. They all rushed over to Harry and Hermione.

"Harry! Son, are you alright?" Arthur asked. Harry shook his head and didn't say a word. Hermione held him tighter. "What happened? Why are you covered in blood? Is it yours?" Harry shook his head again and his lower lip trembled. Sharon pushed her way to the front and knelt down, looking Harry in the eyes.

"Harry, how bad is it?" she asked gently. Harry leaned his head back against the wall and swallowed thickly.

"The raid went wrong. I don't know how, but from what I saw; he set off my spell grenade. The others?" Harry said with a hollow voice. "Did they get back?" Sharon nodded, but her face fell a bit.

"Joseph Forester and Jorge Chavez were killed during the attack. Ron sent their bodies back before he was ambushed," Sharon explained to Arthur and Molly. Once she had finished the sentence, her face crumpled and she fell to the ground sobbing. Hermione broke away from Harry and pulled Sharon in a tight hug. Harry stood up and walked to the window, just staring out of it. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Mrs. Weasley, as she had pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you for bringing him back, Harry," she said through her tears. "Have the healers said anything?" Harry just shook his head, and sighed.

Fred and George walked in looking somber. They found their parents and they gave each of them hugs. The seven of them sat in the waiting room, hoping for news. Harry told them how he found Ron, bleeding and barely alive. Hermione sat holding his hand with her left, and holding Sharon's hand with her right, praying for any type of news.

A few minutes later the other senior members of the Order arrived and Harry went through what he knew yet again. Minerva sat down next to Sharon and pulled her into a hug and tried to console the distraught woman. Moody had been to the site and was amazed at what had happened. He was confident that Ron would be okay, as Moody had lived through worse. Alastor Moody had taken a liking to Ron, ever since he had joined the Aurors. The grizzled ex-auror was amazed at the brilliant mind that Ron possessed and had mentioned it to Ron several times in the past. That young man was going places, and it would only mean good things for the Aurors in the future.

**ooo**

Pain. That was the only thing that Ron felt right now. His body felt like he had been trampled by an entire tribe of giants riding dragons. He would get glimpses of light here and there, but it was too harsh for him to make anything out. It seemed like he was paralyzed and unable to even move a finger. He felt hands moving him and cleaning his wounds, which in turn caused more pain. He felt his bones that had been broken snapping back into place which made him cry out. He forced his eyes to open a bit further, and recognized the setting. He was at St. Mungo's. His eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness. He looked around and saw a healer working feverishly to fix him up. Ron coughed and groaned. The healer looked at Ron and smiled.

"Ah, good to have you back, Mr. Weasley," the healer said. "My name is Healer Karla Weiman. You've had a bit of a rough patch here." Ron grimaced and tried to nod.

"No kidding," he rasped. "How bad?" Healer Weiman sighed and looked at her parchment of notes.

"Well, I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. We almost lost you a couple of times. If your friends had not found you so quickly, you would not have survived. You had a total of twenty four broken bones, a cracked skull, and massive internal injuries. May I ask what happened?" she said.

"The raid went wrong," Ron said. He coughed again and she gave him a small drink of water to ease his throat. "We got ambushed. What about my team?"

"I'm not sure, I can try to get an update on them as they arrived a few moments ago," she said. She left the room to find out.

Ron laid back and thought back over the ambush. He knew something had been off from the beginning, but it had been worse that he could have imagined. He hoped Jorgenson had survived so Ron could beat him to death himself. His thoughts wandered back to Chavez and Forester. Once he got out of the hospital, he was going to visit each of the men's families personally.

In the waiting room, Healer Weiman found the massive gathering that included Ron's family. She walked up and cleared her throat. Every head in the room snapped up and looked at her hopefully. She let out a bit of a smile and there was a collected relieved sigh from the whole group.

"Hello everyone, I'm Healer Weiman," she said. "I have been the one working on Mr. Weasley." Arthur and Molly introduced themselves and shook hands with the healer. After she met them, she spoke up again. "Who brought him here?"

"We did," Harry said, motioning to Hermione. "We found him while the debris was still falling. We probably missed the battle by a minute or so." Healer Weiman nodded.

"Well then you saved his life. We almost lost him a couple of times in the last hour, but when I left him a couple of minutes ago, he was asking me about his team. Can anyone tell me what happened? We need to know to make sure we don't use a healing method that will make things worse."

Kingsley spoke up about the first part of the raid. He had been given an initial report from the first man back. He got a few more details when the majority of the team suddenly arrived back looking grim and angry. He mentioned the cutting curse that had hit Ron in the back while the healer was making notes. The other team members put in the information they knew, but it did not explain about the rest of the physical injuries.

"I will ask Mr. Weasley to see if he can tell me the rest," she said. She scribbled a few more notes down. "It will be a while before anyone can visit as we are still working on healing his injuries. I will let you know when he can have some company."

The group nodded and sat back down. Harry flopped into a chair and let out a sigh of relief. He buried his face in his hands and rubbed his eyes. He looked up at Kingsley.

"Kingsley, have they found Jorgenson yet?" he asked. Kingsley nodded.

"Yes, they did. When the clean up crew showed up, he was trying to limp away, but the security detail picked him up and he is in a holding cell right now. He is to be charged with treason, two counts of murder, and the attempted murder of nine DMLE officers. He won't be getting out for a long time, and that is if they don't have him executed," Kingsley explained. Harry nodded, apparently satisfied.

Ron was moved into a room about two hours later. Healer Weiman had told him that he would be in the hospital for about a week or so while he finished healing. During the two hours before he was moved, he gave the details on what had happened to him to the healer. She shook her head and grinned when Ron made a joke about not getting in the path of Harry's spell ever again. He had drifted off to sleep after he was moved. Healer Weiman walked back to the waiting room to give them the news.

"We managed to repair all of his broken bones. But some of the internal injuries will take a week or so to heal correctly," she explained. When she gave them the details of the injuries, Molly broke down into tears. "Mr. Potter, I have a message from Ron for you." Harry's eyebrows raised in question. "He said thank you for saving his life, and he would very much appreciate it if he would be able to stay away from the receiving end of your spells in the future."

Sharon laughed at this as did everyone else. Harry looked down at his feet and shook his head. '_Leave it to Ron to joke about something like that_,' Harry thought to himself. He looked up when Molly asked if they could see him. The healer said he was sleeping and to give him a few hours.

The night passed slowly while Ron's family waited to see him. The Order members left when they heard he would recover. Hermione had fallen asleep resting in Harry's arms, while Harry sat there just thinking. He mulled over the events of the evening. The audacity of Voldemort's trap concerned Harry. '_But how was it possible he was back, even if he had made a last second horcrux?_' Harry said in his mind. He felt a presence trying to break into his mind, and he knew it was Voldemort trying to get in. Harry reinforced his shields and brutally threw Voldemort's probe back to him. His scar itched a bit, and he guessed Voldemort was beyond angry that he could not get in. Harry smiled to himself and leaned his head back. He set up a rough defense in his mind's perimeter that would cause Tom to think twice about trying it again.

ooo

Harry opened his eyes to realize that he had drifted off to sleep at some point. The sun was shining and Hermione was reading the Prophet. Harry glanced over and saw the headline had already broken about the battle the previous night. When Hermione looked over at him she smiled and handed him the paper.

_**Raid by the Auror's Office Turns Deadly!**_

_Last night a bold raid that was to be a textbook mission by the Auror's office turned deadly last night with the deaths of two Aurors, Joseph Forester and Jorge Chavez were murdered by a traitor from within the team. However, they were the only two deaths in the Auror strike force led by Auror Ronald Weasley. The traitor, Corey Jorgenson, has been detained by Ministry Officials._

_The Aurors were outnumbered at least three to one according to the members of the team. Mr. Weasley wisely ordered an immediate retreat, only to have him stay behind and send his comrade's bodies back to headquarters at great personal risk. According to Ministry statements, Mr. Weasley was gravely injured by doing this and was rumored to have faced down a force of at least twenty Death Eaters. He is currently unavailable for comment as he is recovering at St. Mungo's Hospital. _

_According to Ministry officials, there will be at least an Order Of Merlin waiting for Mr. Weasley and possibly more awards. Ron Weasley is the youngest son of Ministry Department head Arthur Weasley. His bravery and courage to stand up and fight in overwhelming odds has been seen before when he was one of the key players in the final battle against He Who Must Not Be Named four years ago. He had received the Order of Merlin Second Class for his efforts that day._

_Read statements from the Aurors: Page 17_

_More History on Ron Weasley: Page 5_

_Details on the traitor: Page 3_

Harry set the paper down and smiled. He was chatting with Hermione when Molly walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry? He wants to see you," Molly said with a smile. She motioned for Hermione to sit down for a moment. "Sorry dear, but Ron said Harry first, and then he wanted to see you as well after he talked with Harry for a few moments."

Hermione looked hurt and sat down sulking. Harry reached out and took her hand, and gently squeezed it.

"It's a guy thing Hermione," Harry said. "He probably wants to thank me and stuff like that. It's not anything against you, I'm sure." She smiled and nodded. Harry walked down the hall following Mrs. Weasley. She pointed at the room that Ron was in. Harry thanked her and went inside.

Sharon was in there, and she looked a bit upset that Ron was trying to shoo her out for a minute. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder and told her the same thing that he had told Hermione.

"He's not kicking you out for long, he just wants a 'guy' moment," he said. She sighed and rolled her eyes. She quickly kissed Ron on the forehead and walked out of the door. Ron glanced at the door and motioned for Harry to close it. Harry did and he cast a couple of privacy and locking spells to keep out any eavesdroppers. Harry looked at the bottom of the door and saw a few extendable ears poking their way through. He looked at Ron and grinned. Harry bent down and spoke to them.

"You know, it's rude to listen in on a private conversation," he said slowly and quietly. He heard a gasp on the other side of the door and he drew his wand again. He sent a high pitched squeal at them and all three of them disappeared in an instant. He heard a colorful word come from Sharon as she fell on her bottom. Harry cast another spell at the base of the door that no one knew how to counter but him. He turned to Ron who looked a little green. "Ron? Are you alright?" Ron nodded nervously.

"Harry, I've been thinking a lot the last few hours. I know you saved my life last night, and I wanted to thank you," Ron said. He reached out his arms and Harry leaned in for a manly hug. "Thanks mate, I owe you one." Harry shook his head.

"No, Ron. You don't. Just being a friend to me for so long has saved me so many times, that I could never repay you," Harry said quietly. Ron shrugged.

"What are friends for, eh Harry?" Ron said with a grin. His nervous mood returned. "Harry, I have something to ask you, and please hear me out before you give an answer." Harry nodded and motioned for Ron to continue.

"Harry, I almost died last night, and according to the healers, I did for a moment. When I woke up this morning, I got to thinking. What have I done with my life? Have I done anything really good? Have I made the right choices? I have made quite a few stupid ones, but I think I am ready for a really good thing. Would you consider being my best man?"

Harry sat back shocked at Ron's question. Ron was actually going to ask Sharon to marry him. Harry was honored that Ron would ask him to do that.

"Of course I would Ron!" Harry said. "When are you going to ask her?" Ron sat back and smiled.

"The day I walk back into the Auror's office I will," Ron said with a grin. "Now here is where you come into play Harry, since I cannot get up right now, I want you go and pickup the ring for me. I have already sent off an owl to a jeweler to have the ring made. I just can't pick it up. They know you are coming and everything is already paid for."

Harry agreed to the plan and Ron asked him to release the spells on the door. Harry waved his hand and the door popped open and four people fell into the room tumbling over each other. Ron and Harry burst into laughter at the sight of Hermione, Sharon, Molly, and Arthur struggling to get free of the tangled mess they had ended up in. Ron winced and clutched at his side, bringing Sharon rushing to his side.

After a mild chastisement for over doing it, Ron sat back and talked with everyone. He explained what happened between him and Voldemort. Harry patted Ron on the back for successfully annoying Voldemort for the first time, and surviving the encounter. He received a scathing glare from Sharon and Molly, and a smack on the back of the head from Hermione. Ron did the best theatrical bow he could.

Ron was worn out from the activity of the day, so everyone except Sharon left. Molly and Arthur went home and let the others know the danger had passed. Harry and Hermione left to go home for some better sleep. On the way she asked Harry a big question.

"Harry, I have a question for you, but I'm not sure how you will feel about it. Promise not to overreact?" she asked quietly. Harry nodded and smiled. "How would you feel if I moved in for good? I mean I just don't see the point of renting my flat if I am always at your house."

Inside Harry was jumping for joy, but he had promised not to overreact. He half smiled and answered in a neutral tone.

"Sure, that sounds great," Harry said. Her face fell at his tone of voice. She thought he would be happy about it, but he sounded bored by the tone of his voice. Harry couldn't keep silent anymore. "Ok, now that I have not reacted in an extreme, can I really tell you how I feel about it?" Hermione nodded in answer.

He swept her into his arms and whirled her around. She was shocked at first, but then realized that Harry has kept his reaction neutral to mess with her head. Her eyes narrowed and he stopped spinning her around.

"So, Mr. Potter, you think you can get away with that?" she growled. He nodded and grabbed her around the waist. He kissed her and pulled her into a hug. Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh, alright. I can't stay angry with you after that. Now, let's find a way to get my things moved in."

Harry nodded and called for Dobby. Dobby appeared with a sharp crack and looked excited once Harry explained the situation. Dobby hugged Hermione's knees and popped off to get things arranged. They stopped in and informed her landlord of the change. The old woman smiled and gave Hermione a hug saying she was happy Hermione had finally found a man to be with. Hermione blushed and they had a spot of tea while the old lady grilled Harry to make sure he was good enough for the sweet girl that had been renting the flat for the last four years.

After an hour of questions, the lady was satisfied that Harry was the one for Hermione. After a tearful goodbye, the lady made Hermione promise to keep in touch. They went to her flat, and it looked like Dobby had already been there because everything was already gone and cleaned. Hermione grunted and said that the flat looked cleaner than when she had first moved in. Harry laughed and they left the keys, departing for home.

ooo

The next week and a half had gone by quickly. Voldemort was lying low, trying to stay off of the radar. Ron recovered enough to be released from the hospital and had been resting at home. He was due to return to work the following day. Hermione had been to work researching how Voldemort could have made a horcrux in the heat of battle. Gavin had told her to research it, due to her experience with horcruxes that she gained in her seventh year, while working with Harry and Ron on it.

The next morning dawned and Ron slowly got up to test himself, verifying he was able to return to work. He had to make one more stop with the healers for a scan to make sure he was able to handle it. He left his flat and arrived at St. Mungo's. After waiting for about twenty minutes, he was called into Healer Weiman's office. She did a thorough scan on Ron, and she was satisfied with the results. She instructed him to take a light duty for about another week, but he could do standard patrols. He left St. Mungo's and apparated to the Ministry.

He checked his pockets to make sure that he had the ring. Harry had got it for him the following day after they had agreed to the plan. His hands trembled a bit as he rode the lift up to headquarters. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He had talked with Harry the night before via the floo, making sure he was ready for this. Harry had supported him all the way. Harry even had confessed about thinking about asking the same question to Hermione lately.

Ron strode out of the lift and entered the department. Everyone stood up and cheered loudly for him. He flushed a bit and waved, clearly embarrassed about the whole thing. He didn't see what the big deal was. Sure, he got his team back, remembered to recover any fallen members of the team, and fought back when he was trapped. He was sure any of his teammates would have done the same for him.

Sharon arrived a few minutes later and hugged Ron. He started to reach in his pocket, but hesitated when Kingsley strode up to his desk. After a quick welcome, Kingsley left the room and Ron looked over at Sharon. She was filling out reports from her early patrol. He just sat there and grinned at her face while she wrote her report. She was biting her lower lip, and kept trying to brush a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. She must have felt him watching her, as she looked up and smiled at him.

'_Now or never_,' Ron thought to himself. He got up from his desk and approached her. She set down her quill and had a puzzled look on her face. Many of the others, who knew what was going on, covertly gathered so they could see this. Her eyes went wide when he dropped to one knee and dug for something in his pocket. He put a finger to her lips and slightly shook his head, silently asking for her to wait for a moment while he talked.

"Sharon. Wow, this is a bit nerve racking," Ron said, and then he cleared his throat. "We have been seeing each other for a couple of years now. With what happened recently, I got to thinking. Life is too short to keep putting off certain things. I know now that I couldn't waste another moment ever again. Two weeks ago, sure it could wait for a while. But now, after all that has happened, I can't do that anymore."

Ron looked at Sharon, whose eyes had welled up with tears. Everyone was watching with rapt attention. Ron took a shaky breath and continued.

"Sharon Carver, will you marry me?" Ron asked quietly.


	13. The Edge of the Light

**A/N**: Sorry for the delay. I was battling the flu last week, and some other things popped up over the weekend. If I missed any errors in this chapter, please let me know so I can correct them. Thanks.

**Chapter Twelve**

**The Edge of the Light**

Sharon's hand flew to her chest and a tear rolled down her cheek. She drew in a sharp breath, smiling like she was trying to split her face in two. She looked at Ron's face, he looked nervous and hopeful. She couldn't imagine a life without him anymore, and the incident a week and a half ago had scared her beyond belief. She reached out and pulled him into a tearful hug.

"Of course I will!" she said excitedly. She felt Ron relax into her hug and he pulled back from her. He reached down and took her left hand and slid a very lovely diamond and ruby ring on her finger. She pulled him into a steamy kiss that had everyone letting out cat calls and wolf whistles. They broke apart after a few moments and smiled at each other. Kingsley had been watching from his office and walked out to congratulate the two of them.

"Well, finally Weasley gets a smart idea," he said. Ron scowled good naturedly at the comment and chuckled. "Well, since this has turned into a celebration, I have another announcement. Mr. Weasley. While you have been on holiday recovering from your ordeal, the Wizengamot met to decide what to do about your actions." He paused here to take a breath. Ron looked a bit nervous, thinking he might be in trouble for continuing the raid when he suspected the setup.

"They have unanimously voted to award you the Order of Merlin First Class," Kingsley said with a smile. Ron sagged in disbelief and his jaw was hanging open. "And that's not all. Auror Command also decided to award you the Medal of Honor. You stayed behind to make sure no one under your command was left behind, dead or alive. You took out a large cell of Death Eaters, knowing you would more than likely die in the process. You put everyone else's life in the wizarding world ahead of your own without thinking twice. Well done."

Ron had to sit down from shock and everyone was clapping for him. He got several pats on the back and a few hugs. Sharon was overjoyed for Ron. Kingsley pulled Ron aside and gave his some more details on the official ceremony in a couple of weeks. He gave Ron and Sharon the rest of the day off, so they could spread the good news.

ooo

Hermione arrived home from work expecting to find Harry in the study, reading. She looked all over the main floor hoping to find him. When her search was fruitless, she called for Winky. Winky had immediately improved when Harry took her in. After a long and grueling argument with the stubborn house elf, Harry and Hermione finally gave in and had her bound to him in the traditional way. Winky outright refused to be paid, and she would not budge on the issue.

"What did you need, kind Mistress?" Winky asked cheerfully. Hermione made a slight face at being called Mistress, but Winky would call her nothing but that.

"I'm looking for Harry. Do you know where he is?" Hermione asked. Winky nodded and answered.

"Oh yes Mistress, Winky knows. He is in the dungeon, working on his weapon," Winky said.

Hermione thanked her and went into the back of the mansion to the dungeon entrance. Harry had told her that the dungeons had never been used for anything but storage and the potions lab. She found him in the main center room, checking on his materials. The diamonds had finally become soft enough to mix with the metal mixture he had bubbling in the corner. In a separate forge, he had started to heat the aquamarines so he could include them as well. The room was very hot, and he had a sleeveless tee shirt on and a thin pair of pants. Over that was a thick fireproof apron he had over his chest. Hermione took her sweater off and asked if there was anything she could help with.

"Of course. Could you wiggle the forge over there to check to see if the aquamarines are ready?" he said while carefully levitating the diamonds to pour them into the metal. She walked over and pulled out her wand. She used a low power banishing spell to move the forge a bit, so it could wobble on its stand. She noticed that there was a thick sky blue gel in the bottom moving fairly easily.

"Harry, I think they are ready," she said. He walked over and nodded approvingly. She levitated the forge over and Harry helped pour the heated gems into the mixture. They set the forge down to cool and he used his wand to make the mixture swirl in its container. While that was mixing she motioned she wanted to speak with him.

"Harry, I just got a floo call from Ron. He proposed to Sharon!" she squealed. Harry just nodded and smiled. "Harry, did you know he was going to do this?"

"Yeah I did. He made me promise not to tell anyone so he could surprise her. Who do you think picked up the ring, hmm?" he said with a grin. Hermione huffed in mock outrage.

"Well, I'm just glad he finally did it," she said. Harry nodded and grinned. "Oh, and he told us to keep the Tuesday two weeks from now open. It sounds like he is going to get a couple of awards for the battle."

They talked some more about no particular subject while the metal was still mixing. Hermione brought up a sore subject she had been meaning to talk to Harry about.

"Harry, I know you have been wondering how Voldemort came back," she said cautiously. His mood darkened a bit and he half nodded as she continued. "I think I have a theory, but you aren't going to like it." She bit her lower lip a little and looked down at the floor. Harry reached out and put his hand on her knee and she looked up.

"Mione, Sure I might not like it, but I can assure you I won't be too angry about it, if it is what I think it is," he said. She shrugged her shoulders and didn't speak up yet. Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead. He pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. She sighed at his touch and felt the calming effect he always had on her.

"Please, don't yell at me for this," she pleaded. Harry just nodded and let her continue. "Harry I don't think the spell that you and Ginny did worked right." She fidgeted with her nails as she drummed up the courage to finish her thought. Harry nodded and motioned for her to continue. "The spell we found has to be based on pure and true love. Otherwise the ritual takes too much from a person to try and make it work."

Harry understood where she was going with this. He had the same suspicion, but he had never really tried to really go in depth with that line of thinking. He had read about the ritual recently, and knew where she was going with this. His face fell, and Hermione thought that he was taking it badly, and that he would be angry. He noticed this and quickly put his hands on hers.

"Hermione, relax. It's ok. I was thinking along the same lines. It was a bit tough for me to face it, but I think you may be right. You see, I had to push a bit for the spell, but not too much," he said quietly. He leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling as he continued. "And I think that was why Ginny died from pushing too hard. Since you told me about her being a seer, it kind of makes sense.

"I read up on the ritual about a week ago. I finally read the fine print that went along with it. The ritual was originally designed by a couple who were true soul mates. They didn't have to push at all, since their love was so true for each other. It got me to thinking. I think Ginny saw that the ritual did not work. She made the necessary arrangements so that her affairs would be in order. She pushed it so the spell would work. I think that is when she realized that she wasn't truly in love with me. It may have been the image of the Boy Who Lived she loved, but I don't know for sure. And I think why I had to push a little bit, is because I was just trying to have a normal thing. Merlin knows I didn't have that when I was growing up."

Hermione brushed the tears from her eyes after he finished speaking. The sadness in his voice while he spoke was heart breaking. He had come to believe that because he kept the relationship going, he had been directly responsible for Ginny forcing the magic and killing herself in the process. The defeated look on his face was more than she could stand. The tone in his voice became more depressing, if that was even possible.

"How can I face them? The Weasleys would never forgive me for this," he said. "How can I look them in the eyes and have it all be alright? I got back together with her because I wanted to have one thing that would make me a normal teen. I wanted a girlfriend and I wanted to be with her. But look what happened because of that! Had we not used that ritual, Ginny would still be here with us!"

Hermione stood up and stopped him from pacing. She forced him to look at her. His eyes reminded her of the day Ginny died. The pain that was reflecting in them was almost too much to bear. She put her hands on the sides of his face.

"Harry, you had no idea. Ginny never told me the details of what she saw. She only told me that we failed and everyone was eventually killed. She never mentioned about the ritual, and I think that was because she knew we would try to find another way. And most likely that would not have been enough to stop Voldemort. She did that so you would survive. She did it for all of us," Hermione said. "Please don't draw into your shell again. I need you, Harry. We all need you. Life is not the same if you are not around. Look at how many people you have saved, and how things have turned out."

Harry nodded and sighed. He still felt horrible about finally facing the facts, but Hermione always had helped him look at the other side of things. She always did that, no matter what the situation was.

He turned back to the sword, hoping she would drop the subject for now. Hermione took the sudden change as a sign that Harry was done talking about it and needed time to think about it. They went to the task of compressing the mixture into the mold Harry had made for the sword. They used their magic to force the metal mixture into the mold. They kept forcing the mixture into the form until they were sweating with the effort of keeping the immense pressure up to make the sword as solid as possible. With great effort Harry managed to get a stream of water to start pouring onto the mold, attempting to cool the metal to the point where they would be able to handle the weapon for the rest of the process.

After a few more minutes, the steam stopped rolling off of the mold and Harry said that they should be able to try and handle the sword. He cracked open the mold and inspected the sword. Due to the metal mixture he used, the sword was somewhat transparent. He could see through it to a degree, but not completely. He frowned for a moment as he wondered if he used too many jewels to create the sword. But when he ran a scan on it with his wand, he saw that the correct amount of metal was in the blade. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat back into a chair. Hermione had fallen asleep from the draining effects of helping him a bit earlier. The surface was still hot enough to where he could make the runes on the blade in preparation. He grabbed his wand and downed a pepper up potion to keep his energy up. He started to carefully and precisely make the runes on the blade, near the hilt.

Hermione woke to find Harry turning over the sword to duplicate the runes on the other side of the blade. She watched him work on the sword, and she had to admit that it was a piece of art. She looked at him in wonderment as he slowly and carefully worked. About an hour later, he sat back and sighed. He had finished the runes, and saw that she was awake.

"Sorry for waking you," he said tiredly. She shook her head and motioned for him to come over to her. She sat him down on the ground and began to massage his shoulders, attempting to force his shoulders to relax. He groaned when she found a particularly troublesome knot. She smiled when she felt him relax even more and he leaned his head back onto her lap. She looked down and realized he had fallen asleep. She whispered for Dobby and he arrived silently.

"Dobby, can you help me get him back up to the bedroom?" she whispered. Dobby nodded and he gently took Harry's hand and with a quick and quiet pop, he had transferred Harry up to the bedroom. Hermione took a moment to inspect the sword. Dobby popped back in.

"Master Harry says to put the sword into the fire to keep it warm so he can finish a couple more things in a few hours. He says the sword _must_ not be cooled fully yet," Dobby explained. Hermione levitated the sword into a bank of hot coals to keep it hot. "Dobby was told by Master Harry that you should be back up to sleep as well. Dobby will keep the fires going."

Hermione smiled at Dobby and said goodnight. As she slowly walked upstairs, she thought about the previous conversation they had. She was still awake a couple of hours later thinking about that fateful day. She couldn't believe she didn't notice when she had the chance to stop them. She remembered panicking when she saw Ginny forcing the magic so hard that day, and now she understood why. She kicked herself for not remembering on the battlefield that day what the ritual needed, but there were so many things going on that day. Then she realized that if she had stopped them, Ginny's vision would have come true. Harry would have died, as well as everyone else. She fell into a fitful sleep, having nightmares of what could have happened.

ooo

Harry woke up early that morning, with the thoughts of what he and Hermione had talked about still in his head. He went outside for his run, seeing that Hermione was still sleeping. His mind went through several variations of what could have happened if he had known what would happen. They always came out the same. He would have beat Voldemort in the duel, but would be unable to destroy him. He would have kept coming after them, and things would be much worse than they were. Many more people would have been killed, most likely Hermione as well.

He kept running and pushing himself further and further. His legs were beginning to ache and his lungs were burning. He pushed on, punishing himself for not seeing it earlier. He knew that he would not be able to use the spell again; for fear that the same thing would happen. He loved Hermione with his whole heart and soul, and she felt the same, but he just couldn't take the risk.

He collapsed in front of the house unable to move. Dobby popped in next to him, grumbling about masters who punished themselves and forbid elves to do the same. Harry grinned at Dobby and his ranting. Dobby gave Harry a pepper up potion and Harry left to take a long hot shower before he worked on the sword some more.

Hermione woke to find Harry gone, but heard him in the shower. She walked into the steam filled bathroom to find Harry just standing under the hot water.

"Harry? Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. She knew that he wasn't really ok, but he was trying to set her at ease.

"Honestly, Harry. You know that answer doesn't really mean anything," she said with her hands on her hips. "You always pull out that line when you are not really alright, but you want everyone to stop asking you."

She heard him grumbling about her ability to see right through him. She left the bathroom to get dressed for the day, and she had to leave for work in just a little while. Harry came out of the shower dressed the same way as the night before so he could continue to work on the sword. She kissed him and then left for work. Harry walked back down to the dungeon to work more on his sword.

He noticed Dobby was keeping the coals hot, in order for the sword to stay a little bit pliable. He needed to make the small clasp on the end of the handle so it could hold the orb that would contain the evil essence that would be drawn from Voldemort. He sat down at a workbench and began to fashion a small spiral of the same metal he had used for the sword. When he finished it, he still had to fuse it to the end of the grip. He made sure to attach it in a way that would allow an easy removal of the orb, so he could destroy it later.

He heated the gold so he could finish the hilt and the grip. He wove a delicate pattern into the hilt, mainly for decoration on the sword than anything. He also wrapped a thin cord of gold around the grip after he wrapped it with leather. When he looked up at the clock, he realized that it was already well into the afternoon, and that he needed some lunch. When he was about to call for Dobby, a plate popped into existence on the workbench with a large helping of shepherd's pie. He grinned and shouted a thank you to Winky, as he knew that Dobby still grumbled about the rule Harry had placed on him. Since he could not get away with that with Winky, he knew that she had done it.

He finished eating a bit later and sat back to admire his sword. It was almost complete to the point where he could start to work through the enchantments. He took a break and went back upstairs to start reading up on the spells. He found the needed book, and unfortunately, it was still open to the page on the ritual that had failed to work on Voldemort. He walked over to his cabinet in the office and opened it. He carefully extracted the memory of the previous night's conversation about the ritual and put it into his pensieve. His heart lifted a bit when the memory faded to the point to where it was not completely occupying his mind anymore.

He was sitting and reading inside the study when his Order ring started to heat up rapidly. He jumped up and bolted for the armory. He could only hope it was someone other than Hermione that activated the rings, as she had not arrived home yet. He got his gear together and ran for the edge of the wards to apparate to where the ring had been triggered. Once he cleared the wards, he homed in on the distress signal and apparated there.

ooo

His feet hit the ground right outside of the Leaky Cauldron. His eyes widened at the scene before him. Some of the buildings were on fire, and bodies were scattered on the street. He ran to the nearest one, and saw the telltale look of shock and horror that the killing curse was known for. He clenched his eyes shut and ran down the street towards the sound of spell fire. He leapt over a tipped over cart and landed behind a makeshift barrier that had been setup. His eyes quickly took in the injuries to the few Aurors that were trying to protect a group of young children that had been caught in the crossfire. He recognized Crystal Edwards in the group, trying to get past the barrier and screaming for her dad.

"Keep her there! I'll go and help!" Harry shouted. The lead Auror was about to argue with Harry, but that was until he saw who had spoken. Harry nodded and leapt over the short stone wall and let loose of a barrage of spells that pretty much destroyed anything that was hit. Loose stone and splinters of wood forced the Death Eaters to fall back and regroup.

Harry flung curses left and right at anyone who was wearing a Death Eater mask. He was making some headway when he heard a yelp of pain from behind him. He whirled around to see John Edwards take a cutting curse to the chest. Harry's vision went red and his hands started to produce the lightning again. He advanced on the attacker and threw an immense bolt of energy at the Death Eater. The Death Eater screamed in agony when his left leg exploded from the inside. Harry ran to John's side and helped him up.

"John, can you walk?" Harry asked. He got a weak nod from the injured man. "Come on, I have to get you to safety, or your daughter will have my head." He managed to get John behind the barrier, where a wizard that knew a bit of healing worked on the injuries.

"Mr. Potter," a timid voice said. Harry looked down to see the adorable little girl looking up at him. He knelt down and patted her shoulder. "Thanks for bringing my dad back here." Harry smiled and gave her a short hug. He rushed back off to try and drive the Death Eaters to a retreat.

Harry kept fighting for about another half hour when he heard the scream that he had been hoping to never hear. It was Hermione. He raced off in the direction she heard her scream from and stopped suddenly at the sight before him. Half of the order had been disabled and Hermione was cornered by a couple of Death Eaters. Many others were standing around cheering the person on, as he was torturing her. She had been hit with a couple of bone breaking curses, and several cuts were visible.

Harry went berserk. He had the Death Eater pinned against the wall in a second and he had conjured several daggers that had literally stapled the Death Eater to the wall in less than another second. Many of the Death Eaters disapparated, but a few of the braver ones faced off against Harry. While the Death Eater that had been torturing Hermione screamed in pain begging to be let down, Harry made quick work of the Death Eaters. Many of the injured ones managed to use a portkey to retreat, but a couple had not been so lucky.

When the dust settled, Hermione had recovered enough to gasp in horror at Harry. He had killed two Death Eaters. The first had been impaled on a sign post and the second looked like he had taken a reductor curse at point blank range to the chest. He was lying on his back, and Hermione could see the dead man's spine.

Harry had moved onto the Death Eater had been torturing her. He was using wandless magic to slowly twist each dagger in different directions. His goal was to make the Death Eater think twice about torturing anyone ever again. Judging by the look on the man's face, he was succeeding. Hermione looked away, horrified that the man she loved with all of her heart, was slowly torturing the Death Eater. Harry looked over at Hermione and understood the expression on her face right away. He stopped twisting the daggers and stunned the man. Harry removed the man from the wall and cast a few spells to stop the bleeding.

He stepped away and approached her. He reached out to take her in his arms, only to have her recoil in horror. He hung his head and walked away, without saying a word. Harry returned home and locked himself in the dungeon, warding the door so no one could come in. He heard a hesitant knocking on the door, but he ignored it, trying to vent his anger. He proceeded to start crafting a normal steel sword, and kept hammering away at the sword, his anger slipping away with each jarring blow.

Harry cursed out loud and threw the hammer when he could not swing it anymore and fell to his knees. He realized what he had done in anger and Hermione had seen what he had done. '_She'll never forgive me. She'll never see me the same way, and now I've lost her!_' he thought to himself. '_If only she understood!_' He started to seethe a bit more over the fact that she reacted that way. '_She's seen what they do to others, and she expects me to play nice and just simply stun them and watch them go free later!_'

He heard the knocking again, and it was a bit more forceful this time. He continued to ignore it, until the door was blasted inward and a very angry Hermione Granger stomped into the room. She strode right up to him and pushed him back a step.

"How could you! You hurt that man deliberately!" she screamed at him. His face remained blank as she continued. "I understand that I was being hurt, and I thank you for saving me yet again, but that doesn't give you the right to torture someone as well!" His eyes narrowed a bit and he took a steady breath in.

"Hermione, I know you are disturbed at what I did tonight. But look at it from what I have seen," he said slowly and clearly. "Remember the last year of school when I was having the nightmares?" She nodded curtly and he continued. "Those were just not nightmares. Remember the news stories of the revelries they held? I saw them every night. Every. One. Now you don't have the right to sit there and tell me that they don't have it coming back to them.

"I have seen the worst a human can be in the past several years. I saw through Tom's eyes the pleasure and glee that his Death Eaters had in their eyes as they cut people to pieces while they were still alive! They are monsters, not men. And they deserve to be treated as such. Especially when they don't give a damn if their target survives. In fact they love it if the target does not survive and experiences the utmost amount of pain before they go," Harry said. Hermione shook her head and looked at him.

"But Harry, if you drop to their level, you'll lose yourself in your vengeance. You are walking a fine line here, Harry. And if you cross that line, I don't know if you'll be able to come back. And I hate to say this, but I can't follow if the line is crossed," She said with tears in her eyes. "I love you Harry, with everything I have. But if you fall off the edge, I won't be there to catch you this time."

Harry stepped back and thought about what she said. She sat down and buried her face in her hands. His thoughts kept battling each other. One voice said to go and hunt each one down and to take his time killing them, but the other voice kept repeating Hermione's name and to listen to her. He sat down and withdrew into his mind to look at things objectively.

Hermione lifted her head and saw that Harry was sitting upright, but his eyes were closed. His eyes darted back and forth underneath his eyelids, as if he was arguing with himself. She reached out and gently took his hand in hers, and surprisingly Harry's hand gripped hers as if he needed her support. He started to sweat and it looked like he was battling the darkness inside of his mind. She squeezed his hand tighter and held on as hard as she could. She wouldn't let Harry slip down that path, if it was the last thing she ever did. Harry's brow furrowed and he started to grind his teeth. Clearly the darkness that had been festering was strong, but he was fighting it with everything he had. He finally relaxed a bit and his eyes snapped open suddenly. He let go of her hand and rushed up the stairs. She followed as fast as she could and saw him disappear into the study for a moment. She got closer to the door and Harry bounded back out, heading back towards the dungeon.

Hermione slid to a stop and spun around to follow him back. When she reached the dungeons, he was setting up the rituals to do the enchantments on the sword. She quickly slipped into an assisting role and helped him set everything up. The rituals lasted a good thirty minutes each, but when they were done, the sword had taken on a pure white fire-like aura. Harry sat back and wiped the sweat off of his face. He picked up the sword and gazed at it.

"Finally, I got it correct. Hermione, I would like you to be introduced to 'The Edge of the Light'," Harry said. He tested the sword for balance and maneuverability. He seemed satisfied by the look on his face.

Hermione looked at the sword in awe, amazed at its beauty. She reached out and touched Harry's shoulder and pulled him into a hug. He pulled away after a second and his face twisted with effort. He started to sweat again and he backed away from her.

"Hermione, please remember something for me," he said nervously. She looked confused, but nodded anyways. "I can't control the darkness inside of me. When I saw you being tortured, it broke loose. I can't have that happen again. I refuse to walk that edge anymore. Just remember this no matter what happens, I love you forever and always."

Her face twisted into shock and horror as Harry said those words. His hands shifted positions on the grip of the sword. Hermione screamed in terror as he lifted the sword and drove it through his own chest to the hilt. The sword flashed for a moment and then he collapsed onto his side.


	14. Tabula Rasa? Not Quite

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay everyone. This chapter does not have much, but it is the key to setup the rest of the story.

Enjoy!

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Tabula Rasa? Not Quite…**

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed as she watched him collapse onto the floor.

Hermione rushed to Harry's side in an instant. She couldn't believe that Harry had done this. The sword was starting to glow and his body started to convulse. She reached around him to start to pull the sword out, when his hand grabbed her wrist to stop her. Through the convulsing, she saw him shake his head adamantly to warn her not to intervene. Hermione's face fell as she watched Harry's shaking get worse.

After what seemed like an eternity, his body went rigid and there was a bright flash from the orb on the end of the grip. The orb swirled with a murky black mist. Harry released her wrist, and tried to pull the sword out of his chest. His strength was gone, so Hermione hesitantly wrapped her hands around the grip. She pulled the sword and slowly it began to move. Harry's back arched in pain and his eyes were closed as tight against the pain.

Hermione finished pulling out the sword with a quick movement, and Harry relaxed. To her shock, the wound had already healed. She ran her hand over where the sword had pierced his chest and felt nothing but smooth skin. Harry's breath came back to him and he opened his eyes. His face set into a grimace and he closed his eyes again. He curled up into a ball on the floor and drew in a shaky breath.

"What have I done?" he asked to no one in particular. He wrapped his arms around himself and started to shiver. Hermione laid her hand on his back, only to have him flinch away from her. "Please, don't touch me, Mione. I don't deserve you after what I have done."

Hermione drew in a surprised breath. He must be in the stage of the curse that forced him to relive all the wrong things he had done. His eyes were shut tightly, but not tight enough for a few tears to leak out. Hermione reached out again, and this time pulled Harry to her and she wrapped her arms around him. He struggled for a moment to get free, but he realized that she was there for him, no matter what. She laid his head on her lap and she ran her fingers through his hair. He relaxed a little, but not enough to stop shaking.

Hermione called out to Dobby and he popped into the room with a worried look on his face. After explaining what had happened, Dobby managed to get both of them upstairs and into the bedroom. She laid Harry on the bed. He continued to have a far off look in his eyes, reliving all of the things he had done.

_**Flashback**_

_Harry had been working in the preserve for a month now. His friendship with the dragon he had saved had grown and the dragon had finally let Harry ride him for a little while. While they were gliding over a small lake, the dragon suddenly roared and changed directions. It seemed there was a poacher nearby, going after a hatchling. Harry jumped off of the dragon and confronted the poacher._

"_Hey! What do you think you are doing?!" Harry yelled. The poacher jumped and fired off a spell in Harry's direction. Harry went on the offensive while the hatchling was being protected by the larger dragon._

_Harry and the poacher had dueled for a bit, but when the poacher fired a spell that missed Harry and hit the hatchling, Harry lost control. Harry fired back with a very dark spell. The spell started to peel the skin off of the man's hand. The man cried out in pain and fired another spell at Harry. Unfortunately, the man had fired the killing curse._

_Harry dodged it and concentrated all of his power into a reductor curse and it hit the poacher in the face. The man didn't die from the spell right away, but he lay there, choking on his own blood. Harry just sat there and watched him die. He figured that the man deserved to die for attempting to kill a young dragon. He smiled a cruel smile when the man finally died. _

_**End Flashback**_

The scenes kept changing in Harry's mind while the curse forced everything to replay in his mind. Harry started to shiver again when his mind had moved onto that evening's events. He started to shake even worse than before, and Hermione did her best to hold onto him. She conjured a cold and wet washcloth, and pressed it to Harry's forehead. He sighed at her touch and he drifted off to sleep.

The curse had run its course, but it had taken its toll on Harry. He was mentally and physically exhausted, and he fell into a fitful sleep. Hermione sat there and just held him as he twitched and trembled in his sleep. Once in a while he would suddenly cry out in despair. Hermione felt completely helpless as he continued to remember everything he had done. She did the only thing she could do. She continued to be there for him and gave him the strength and support he needed to get through this.

ooo

Harry's eyes snapped open, and he looked around. He noticed his head was in Hermione's lap, and her arms were wrapped protectively around him. He relaxed and shifted his body a little closer to hers. He felt her grip of him tighten a bit, but he reveled in the contact he had with her. Judging by the light in the room, he had been asleep for a few hours. She had fallen asleep, but she had never let go of him. He recalled his dreams and shuddered. He couldn't believe he had done some of the things he had, while still not really caring while he had done them.

He felt ashamed that he had killed those men so brutally. He knew with some of the things they had done to others, they had deserved to die. But what he couldn't believe was that he was so sadistic in the way he killed them. His mind flashed on Hermione's face in Diagon Alley. The look of horror and revulsion was more than he could take. His stomach made a sudden lurch and he quickly broke free from her grasp, and ran for the bathroom.

Hermione woke instantly when Harry got loose and bolted for the bathroom. She walked quickly to the closed door, hearing Harry getting sick. Her heart twisted painfully hearing him being that miserable. When she heard the toilet flush, she hesitantly knocked on the door. Harry asked her to wait for a moment while he cleaned himself up. She sat on the bed and waited for a few moments. Harry opened the door and it looked like he had aged several years. The normal confident look on Harry's face had been replaced by one of doubt and revulsion. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and looked at his feet.

"Harry?" she said softly. "Are you alright, love?" Harry shook his head slightly.

"Not really," he said. He wrung his hands nervously. He tentatively looked up at Hermione expecting to see her still mad at him for what he had done. He was confused for a moment at the look of concern and love she had on her face. He cleared his throat. "Hermione, can I ask you something? It's probably a dumb question considering what I have done."

"Harry, you can ask me anything," she said. She reached out a hand and tried to take Harry's. His pulled his hand away and looked back down at his feet.

"How can you still love me?" he asked quietly. "How can you stand to be in the same room as me after what I have done? Why are you still here when I'm nothing but a sadistic murderer like Voldemort?" Hermione sat there stunned at his questions. She moved off of the bed and sat on her knees and forced his chin up.

"Harry, you are nothing like him. The fact that you faced what you have done and it makes you think like this is what it really means to be human," she said patiently. "I know you think that some of the thing you have done in the last few years seem like you might have acted like him, but you feel the pain and remorse. That is why you are nothing like him, and you will never be like him."

Harry shook his head, trying to convince himself that she was just saying that to make him feel better. She couldn't believe that. No one could love him anymore. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve to have her in his life. She must have caught on to what he was thinking.

"Oh no you don't Harry," she said sternly. "You stand very little to _no_ chance of losing me now. Can't you see that?" Harry was confused by her comment.

"But after what I did in front of you, how can you stand to be near me? I tortured a man for Merlin's sake!" he said with a raised voice. "I'm a monster! It took using the sword on myself just to see that!" He ran his hand through his hair in a frustrated manner. He took a deep breath and cursed under his breath. "I don't deserve to have you after what I have done." He stood up and started for the door. He was yanked around by a very frustrated woman.

"Harry Potter!" she said quietly and menacingly. He cringed a little at the tone of her voice. "If you think you are walking away from me now, you will need a _much _better reason than that. If you had ignore what I said earlier, and continued down that path, you would have a right to say that. Would I do this to a monster?!"

She reached behind his head, pulled him closer and kissed him. She poured every bit of emotion into the kiss as she could. She could almost feel his worries disappear. He broke the kiss and leaned back for a moment. He gazed into her eyes, and reached his hand up to her face expecting her to flinch away. Instead, she leaned into his touch and covered his hand with hers and smiled. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and pulled her back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head.

"How is it that I am so lucky to have you?" he whispered. She smiled into his chest and sighed. She looked up at him and saw him looking at her with such an intense look of love. She reached up and brushed his hair back from his head and her eyes went wide and she gasped.

"Harry! Your scar!" she said. His hand shot up to it and he felt the smooth skin where his scar had always been. He let go of her and rushed to the bathroom and looked into the mirror. He stared into the mirror. His scar was gone. Only a very faint pink lightning bolt remained. The scar had been there for so long, that the mark would never truly fade, but now it looked just like it had been a deep cut that left a faint mark. He rubbed his forehead, thinking about what this meant. Hermione stood in the doorway to the bathroom. She smiled at his expression. He looked so relieved and happy for once.

"Mione, do you realize what happened?" Harry said. "I think when he tried to kill me the first time he left a bit of himself in me when the spell backfired, and not just some of his abilities."

"You mean he made you into a horcrux?" Hermione said. Harry shook his head.

"No I don't think so. I think he just left a bit of an echo of himself in me. And because of all of the things that happened to me in the past it became its own consciousness. It was always a voice that was mine, but it had Tom's attitude behind it," he explained. Hermione looked thoughtful at his explanation.

"So what you are saying is," she started. "Because of the backfire of the curse, it created something like another personality." Harry nodded. "So when it got strong enough from you bottling up everything, it created its own personality. Imagine that, a case of magical multiple personality disorder." Harry made a face at her.

"Just what I need," he grumbled as he nodded. "People to know I really _was _a nutter." Hermione rolled her eyes and lightly punched his shoulder.

"Alright Harry, enough beating yourself up," she said with a grin. She leaned her head against his shoulder and put her arms around his waist, sighing. "You know Harry, there is a down side to the scar going away." He raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner. "You can't sense him anymore. You won't know when he is happy, angry, or excited. We lost our 'radar' of his activities."

His face drained of all its color as he realized that she was right. They were flying blind now, and who knew when or where Voldemort would strike next. His face settled into a determined expression.

"Hermione, I have something I have to say," he said. She lifted herself onto the counter and listened to him. "I know what I have to do. He must be stopped. I can't promise I will not kill anyone anymore, but I can tell you this. If I have to kill a person again, it will be fast and as painless as I can make it. I won't be soft and forgiving to a fault. I know now that how I was going about things was the wrong way, but some sacrifices have to be made.

Some more will most likely die by my hand. I will still do what I know needs to be done. But I swear to you on my life, no person shall ever suffer needlessly by my hand ever again. No matter what happens, I will never cross that line ever again."

Hermione had a little problem with him still willing to kill someone, but she also understood that some people were beyond saving. She was relieved to hear him say that it would be quick, rather than drawn out. He had finally found the balance he needed to become the leader he was meant to be.

ooo

Hermione woke a couple of hours later, and found Harry was missing. She sat up quickly and looked into the bathroom. He was nowhere to be seen. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought he had run off again. She threw the covers off of herself and quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple tee shirt.

"Dobby!" she hollered out. A loud snap signaled the arrival of Dobby. "Dobby! Is Harry still in the house?"

"No, Master Harry is not in the house," Dobby said. Her stomach dropped as soon as he said his answer. "Master Harry is outside on the quidditch pitch, flying dangerously. Dobby is not knowing what to do miss. Master Harry is troubled and is not listening to his friend Dobby."

Hermione breathed a slight sigh of relief and ran for the front door, shouting out a quick thank you to Dobby. She ran out the front door and around the side of the manor. Her heart fell a bit to see Harry pushing the broom as fast as it would go and doing some very risky feints and dives. It almost looked like he was trying to outrun his demons.

"Harry! Please come down here," she shouted, hoping to get his attention. He continued flying for a while until he was exhausted from pushing the limit for so long. He made a serious miscalculation on his landing and ended up rolling for several feet after he hit the ground rather hard. "Harry!"

Hermione ran across the pitch and found him lying in a bit of an awkward position. Thankfully he was still breathing and awake. His eyes gazed up at the sky, and he let a long breath out.

"Sorry about that, Mione. But, I think I need some help," he said as he grimaced. "I have a feeling I have twisted something."

Hermione reached over and found that him leg was a bit twisted under him. She helped him get his leg free. She ran her wand over him and found he had just sprained his left knee. Thankfully, he had not broken any bones. She put his arm over her shoulder and brought him back inside the manor. They walked up to the bedroom in silence, Harry still brooding over his personal demons. She laid him on the bed and figured that she needed some reinforcements. She walked to the edge of the wards and apparated to Ron's flat. She knocked on the door and heard a loud curse as it sounded like Ron had tripped over something.

"Hermione! It's good to see you! Everyone was worried after the battle the other night!" Ron said, but then he saw the worried look on her face. "Hermione? What's wrong? Is Harry ok?" She shook her head slightly.

"Ron, he used his sword on himself," she said, pausing to let the words sink in. Ron's jaw hung slightly open and his faced paled a bit. "He's not really injured, but his mind is the thing I am worried about. All of the curses he put on the blade worked like they were supposed to. He considers himself a bit of a monster over what he has done in the past."

Ron's eyebrow rose in a questioning manner but he nodded. He invited her in while he got ready. Sharon stumbled out of the kitchen and mumbled a tired greeting to Hermione. Hermione smiled and cast a warming charm on Sharon's coffee, as she had let it cool by dozing in the kitchen. Sharon took a drink and it seemed to wake her up a bit. They talked a bit and Hermione told Sharon what happened the night before. Sharon said she was coming with, especially since after she and Ron got married, she would be like a sister to Harry. The four of them started to walk out of the door, when Ron stopped suddenly.

"Hermione, how are we getting there? Isn't Harry the secret keeper for his own home?" Ron asked. Hermione smiled and pulled out a small scrap of parchment. It was in Harry's writing, that way they could get the address.

_Potter Manor is located at 52 Bull Lane, Sutton Green._

Ron had never been to Sutton Green before, but he had been to Guilford. Hermione told them to get a late breakfast there and she would bring the car to pick them up. They apparated to their destinations, and Hermione arrived back at the edge of the wards. She hurried inside and asked Harry if she could borrow his car to pick up Ron and Sharon. He gave her the keys and kissed her quickly. Then he sank back into his brooding state. Hermione sighed and brushed his hair from his eyes and kissed him again on the top of his head.

The drive was short, only about fifteen minutes to get to Guilford. Hermione picked Ron and Sharon up, and Ron started to play with some of the controls right away. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile. He evidently had learned a lot about muggle technology from Sharon, and he was actually calling things by the right names. He had got a kick out of the power windows and the sunroof, as he had never actually owned a car before. Sharon tapped him on the shoulder from the backseat and told him to stop playing.

They arrived in a short amount of time, and Ron was gaping at the house. He didn't make any snide or jealous comments though. Hermione took them up to the front door and they were about to enter when they heard a cry of despair. All three of them drew their wands and charged into the manor.

They heard Harry scream again and they followed the sound across the house. Hermione thought it came from the training room. She ran to the door and tried to open it, but Harry had locked the door. She pointed her wand at the door and cast _alohamora. _The lock released, but she still could not open the door. It was like it was barricaded closed from the inside. Ron gently moved her aside and backed up a few steps.

He barreled forward and impacted the doors with his shoulder. The wood started to splinter a bit, but it still held. He backed up a few more steps and motioned for the ladies to move aside. He raised his wand and shouted a blasting curse as he started running. The spell impacted the door a moment before his shoulder hit the door as well. The doors crashed open and Ron fell over the chair that Harry had propped against the door.

Hermione and Sharon rushed into the room and helped Ron up. Hermione turned to see that Harry was kneeling dejectedly on the floor, about fifteen feet from a stone target. The surface was steaming a bit, but otherwise it looked unharmed. Ron, who had recovered from his fall, had run over with Sharon in tow. Ron looked between Harry and the stone target, his face paling as he realized what had happened.

"Harry? Love, what's wrong?" Hermione asked quietly. He looked up at her with empty eyes. She dropped to his side and pulled him into her arms. "Harry, please tell me." She reached up and brushed his sweaty hair. She was afraid this would have happened.

"My magic," Harry mumbled pitifully. "It's too weak now." Hermione's face fell as her fears were realized. He raised his wand past her and his eyes narrowed with concentration. He started to sweat and the vein on his forehead was throbbing as he pushed with everything he had.

"_REDUCTO!!_" he bellowed.

The spell left his wand and impacted the stone target and a small chip of rock broke from the surface. But otherwise the stone was unharmed. Before Harry used the sword, his reductor curse would have reduced the stone to fine sand. But now, it merely touched the surface. Harry's head dropped into her shoulder as he passed out with exhaustion.


	15. Bonding

**A/N:** Sorry for the near 3 week delay! I'm so sorry to all of the people who read this story. My main car blew the engine a couple of weeks ago, and I had to find a replacement. Then my wife's car decides to break down not even a week later. Then to top it off we had 2 snow storms that made things difficult as well.

This chapter is mainly a bit of a filler, but it needs to be done and this sets up the remainder of the story.

Enjoy!

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Bonding…**

Harry shot out of bed with a scream after a particularly vivid nightmare. Hermione sat up and pulled him back down. He had been like this for the couple of days. He spent most of the day sleeping and having nightmares. When Hermione had to leave for work, Dobby would be the one to watch over Harry.

Harry's eyes darted around, and then they landed on Hermione. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her. He felt a bit better and stronger than he had after he had used the sword on himself. His memories kept coming back to haunt him every night. Yet Hermione had been there every time he needed her. He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her close. As long as she was touching him, he felt that the nightmares would not be as vivid.

Hermione felt horrible. She was not able to help as much as she felt she needed to. The troubled thoughts faded a bit when Harry pulled her closer. She leaned into him and reveled in the contact. She let out a deep, frustrated sigh.

"Mione? What's wrong?" he whispered. She lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest.

"I feel awful, Harry," she muttered. "I don't know how to help you with this."

He kissed her forehead and played with her hair. He reflected back on the last couple of days. He was glad the darkness inside him was gone, but he felt very vulnerable at his loss of power. He still had not managed to try again, fearing the same result.

"It's ok," he said quietly. "It's my mess to sort out. I just need to find out why this happened. I'm a bit surprised at how much of that power I was using. My body was so used to it, that my natural magic is too weak because of how long it's been since it was used." Hermione sighed.

"I know Harry, but how are you going to hide this? If Tom's goons learn about this, it will be like blood in the water," she said nervously.

Harry sighed and nodded. He was going to have to learn his skills all over again, and even then he might not be back to his original strength ever again. He got lost in thought over what he could do about the situation, that he didn't notice Hermione had fallen back asleep. He smiled down at her peaceful face, and stroked her hair. Fawkes made a quiet trill in the dark. Harry listened to the song and drifted back to sleep, his heart lightened by Fawkes' song.

ooo

Hermione woke at the first rays of dawn, to see Harry getting dressed. He seemed determined about something. He tied the laces to his trainers with a sharp jerk and started to stretch out. Hermione rose from the bed and put on her robe. She finished in the bathroom quickly and dressed for some exercise. Harry raised an eyebrow at her as she put on a sports bra and a pair of lightweight running shorts. She looked at him in a way that said, 'I'm coming with you no matter what you say'.

They walked down in silence to the front door and walked out onto the porch. Harry closed his eyes and smiled a little. He felt the warm rays of the sun heat up his face. Fawkes flew to Harry and perched on his shoulder. Harry looked up to the phoenix and grinned. Fawkes trilled happily and took off, his wings beating in a slow rhythm.

Harry started with a slow pace. Hermione finally got fed up with not even working up a sweat that she simply accelerated and left Harry behind. Harry cried out in surprise and mock outrage that she was currently outrunning him. He caught up and they pulled even. After about twenty minutes of making a game out of their morning run, they settled into a tough, yet manageable pace. They reached the house after another hour. Harry checked his pedometer that was on his wrist and was shocked that they had managed to run thirteen miles that time.

Hermione started to go for a shower, when Harry turned and went to the training room. Hermione turned around and followed him into the room. She saw him staring at the stone he had tried using his magic on the other day. His eyes narrowed and he drew his wand. Hermione stopped at the doorway, watching the scene unfold. Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His face relaxed into the picture of serenity and his eyes snapped open.

"Reducto," he said simply. The spell left his wand and crashed into the stone. The stone slab cracked in half and one part fell to the side. Harry grinned triumphantly at the sight before him. He looked over at Hermione with a smile. "Now I know how Albus did it. No matter what he was faced with, he was always calm. Yet his spells were nothing if not spectacular."

Hermione smiled a little and walked up to Harry. She pulled him into a hug and held him for a moment.

"Harry, just make sure that you are not pushing this too hard," she said. He stroked her hair and pulled back a bit. She pouted a bit when he pulled back, but then she her face lit up when he produced the practice swords. He took her through some basic blocks and maneuvers.

As it was the weekend, Hermione and Harry spent most of the morning in the training room. Finally Hermione had enough of the both of them all sweaty and smelly; she dragged Harry upstairs to take a shower. Harry had become more comfortable around her and he had adjusted to her showering with him. After their shower, Hermione put on her bikini that she knew would get to Harry and winked at him suggestively. He scrambled into his swim trunks and followed her down to the pool.

As usual, he dove into the water with a cannon ball and proceeded to drench anything that was near. Hermione gave him a glare as she shook the water from herself. Harry just grinned cheekily at her. She pulled her wand out from under her towel and waved it at the water. Harry had swum away from her, and she grinned as his piercing yell filled her ears. He rocketed out of the water as fast as he could, shivering from head to toe.

"Why, Ms. Granger, I hope you know this means war," he said, grinning evilly. Her eyes widened as he started for her.

"Harry, don't you even—" she said before he sprinted the rest of the way and she was tossed into the water. She surfaced and let out a loud shriek. "_Accio Harry Potter!_"

Harry yelled as he was forcefully pulled into the water right to Hermione. He broke the surface and saw that Hermione's lips were turning blue.

"Er, M-Mione, d-don't y-y-you th-think we should w-warm up t-the wat-ter?" he said through chattering teeth. Hermione tried to say it, but it came out wrong and the spell did not work. "Dobby!"

Dobby popped in right next to the pool and frowned. He snapped his fingers and the pool started to warm at a decent rate. Hermione and Harry stopped shivering and got out of the pool. They sat on the side huddled together and wrapped a towel around themselves. Dobby finished warming the water and shot a disapproving glare at Harry.

"Hey, it wasn't me!" Harry said with his hands up. Dobby sighed and popped out of the room. "Thanks, Mione, you got me in trouble with Dobby now." She glanced over at Harry and saw that he was grinning.

"Oh, he's the least of your worries, my love," she said sweetly. His grin disappeared right away. "Now what should I do for punishment? Hmm…"

Harry suddenly leaned over and captured her lips with his. She slid over and crawled up onto his lap, without breaking the kiss. She straddled him and pressed her body to his. He suddenly broke the kiss and wriggled out from under her.

"Oh, I don't think so," she said as she reached for him. He grinned and backed up a few steps. He turned and ran for the door in the back of the pool room. Hermione grabbed her wand and gave it a wave. She cringed when there was a loud smack as Harry tried to run full speed through the now sealed door. He fell back into a crumpled heap. Harry sat up and started to check his nose to make sure it wasn't broken. He slowly turned his head around and shot a look at Hermione, who smiled sweetly and sauntered over to him.

"I hope this concludes our object lesson for today," she said haughtily. Harry tried to glare at her, but his attempt to stay serious was failing miserably.

"You know, Mione," he said. "I'll get even sometime soon." She just raised her eyebrow challengingly and smirked.

"I'll believe it when I see it," she quipped.

ooo

Hermione snapped the book shut, and looked over at Harry. She had noticed that he had begun to slip back into the brooding and sullen behavior recently. He was sitting in a chair by the fire, staring into the flames. She figured that he had been trying to hide what he was really feeling from her.

"Harry? What's bothering you?" she asked, but she had a good idea of what it was. Harry didn't even look over at her and shrugged.

"Nothing's wrong Hermione, I'm fine," he said. She didn't buy it for one second. She knew that his drop in magical power was weighing on him immensely and that it would take a long time for him to adjust.

"Don't give me that, Harry," she said sternly. "I know those answers. Please, just talk to me." Harry's face hardened a bit, but his eyes did not leave the flames.

"Like I said Hermione, I'm fine. Just let it go," he said. She tossed the book onto the table and got up from her chair. She walked over to him and knelt in front of him. She gazed into his eyes, and saw the fear hidden beneath the surface. She reached out her hand and took his gently.

"Harry, please," she whispered. "I can't let it go. It hurts me to see you like this." His eyes snapped to hers, and let go of her hand. He suddenly stood up and looked down at her.

"Just leave me be for a bit. It's something I have to get through on my own," he said. He started to walk away when she grabbed his arm and slowly turned him back to face her. She pulled him into a tight embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and they just stood there for a while.

"Harry, remember that you are never alone in anything. You have so many people that care about you that will always be here for you," she said. He responded by tightening his hold on her.

"I know," he said. "But how am I supposed to keep fighting? I can barely make a stone slab crack enough to break, and I don't know how to get back to the strength I had before. How many others will die because I can't fight?"

"Harry, you can't do everything on your own. As much as you want to, it's just not possible. There is no one person that can do everything," she said patiently. "For example, remember back to when Dumbledore was still alive. Everyone considered him to be the most powerful wizard alive, yet he always had help from others. How much do you want to bet that when he was young, that he thought he had to take on everything by himself? How many times do you think that he had the same drive you did, to protect everyone out there?" Harry sat back down thinking while she continued.

"Harry, even the most influential and popular leaders in history always had someone supporting them and helping them? On the other hand, think of Voldemort. He is very powerful, I will admit that. But why do you think he is so feared? It's not just him, but the Death Eaters as well. They help him with trying to accomplish his goals. If it were just Voldemort alone, how long do you think he would have lasted?" she said. She took a breath and continued. "If it were just him alone killing and torturing, the public would have banded together and taken him down. No matter how powerful one person is dozens would still be stronger when they have help."

Harry sat back and pondered what she had said. He had to admit she made a lot of sense. But he was still concerned about his power level drop off. He mentally kicked himself for becoming so reliant on the dark side of himself to fight. He knew that he had been close to crossing the line many times, but he had always managed to pull himself back. But now it was different. It was time to make a stand.

"Hermione, could you inform the Order of an emergency meeting tonight? I'm not going to disclose this, but we need to meet and get a plan together," he said. Hermione rushed off to get the notices out so the main group could meet. "Oh, and make sure that some of the Order bring someone they trust to join if they can. If I know Tom, he has already been gathering more supporters. We need all the help we can get."

Fawkes flew over and landed on Harry's shoulder. Harry reached up and stroked Fawkes' scarlet and gold plumage. Fawkes looked into Harry's eyes and stared at him.

'_I hope this gets through to you Harry_.' Harry's jaw fell as he heard a voice in his head.

"Fawkes?" Harry whispered in awe.

'_Ahh, good. It seems as though I can talk to you now. Your darkness within was interfering. Well done, young Harry. It is an honor that I can finally converse with you._'

"Well, it's a bit strange to hear you in my head, but it's good to be able to talk to you now," Harry said.

'_I remember the first time I was able to converse with Albus. His reaction was quite similar to yours. But I seem to remember he just about started throwing spells around to find the intruder.'_

Harry snorted at the image in his mind of a younger Dumbledore looking panicked and ready to attack. He heard Fawkes make some noise that sounded like laughing.

'_Now, about your predicament, I think you should quickly venture to Hogwarts and talk with Albus. He might be able to help you find your way to recovery.'_

"Thanks, Fawkes. I probably should go and talk with him," Harry said. He looked over and saw Hermione staring at him in shock. "Mione, want to come to Hogwarts with me? I need to speak with Albus." Hermione nodded, still in shock at the sight she had seen.

They walked to the edge of Harry's wards, and apparated to Hogwarts. They walked to the gate and they were met by Hagrid.

"Harry, good ta see yer! And 'ermione! You two 'ere ta see McGonagall?" Hagrid said, helping Harry up from slapping his back. "Sorry bout tha' Harry."

"No problem Hagrid. Actually we're here to talk to Albus' portrait. I need some advice," Harry said. There was a burst of flame behind Harry, and Fawkes landed on Harry's shoulder.

"Well, 'ello Fawkes. Good to see yer back as well!" Hagrid said as he gently stroked Fawkes. "Well, let's not keep ya waitin 'ere!"

Hagrid led them up to Minerva's office, and invited them down for tea after they were finished. Harry quickly accepted since he wanted to catch up with Hagrid. It had been a long time since they sat down and talked for a while.

Hermione used her _patronus_ to let Minerva know that they were at the gargoyle. A few moments later the gargoyle leapt aside and they stepped onto the stairs. After a polite welcome and a spot of tea, Harry stood to go to Albus' portrait. Albus was feigning sleep again, but Harry was not able to participate in the 'game' Albus had become so fond of. Harry's eyes were focused on the floor, something which Minerva noticed.

"Mr. Potter?" she asked. When she didn't get an answer, she tried again. "Harry?" Bewildered at the sudden change of his behavior, she looked over at Hermione, whom she noticed looked troubled as well. Albus heard Minerva, and was surprised to open his eyes and see Harry looking very upset.

"Harry my boy, what is the matter?" Albus asked gently. Seeing Harry's troubled expression, and the lack of magical pranks, Albus made the connection. "Oh my, you completed it then." Harry nodded.

"Yes, I did," Harry said quietly.

"And you deemed it worthy to use upon yourself, I see," Albus said. Harry just nodded again, but didn't say anything. "Well Harry, first I must say on congratulations on a well done piece of work. But it seems to have a side effect you did not expect."

"Albus, I can barely cast a spell now," Harry said. Minerva gasped and looked over at Albus' portrait. Albus merely nodded. Harry went into the story of what brought his decision on, and the others listened patiently. Hermione had reached over and took Harry's hand for support. When he finished the story, Albus looked to be in deep thought. After a few moments of silence, he cleared his throat.

"Harry, you did the right thing to come to me. Word of this cannot get out about your condition. You have a place to work on trying to regain your abilities, correct?" Albus said. Harry nodded in the affirmative. "Very good. You will not be able to practice here, due to the fact that the school will be filled with students very soon. Minerva, could you please retrieve the extra portrait for me please? It is time for Harry to have it so I can help him with this."

Minerva disappeared into the back of the office to retrieve the portrait. She handed it to Harry when she returned. Hermione shrunk it so they could carry it home with little trouble. Harry and Albus setup a schedule for when Albus could be in the portrait to assist him. Harry made a small joke about why they needed a schedule, since Albus was just a portrait now. Albus just gently reminded Harry about how they needed to keep this a secret. They notified Minerva of the Order meeting that was to take place that night.

After they left the office they wandered around the school for a bit, visiting with the ghosts. Sir Nicholas, the Gryffindor ghost still complained about the others not accepting him into the headless hunt. They arrived at Hagrid's hut after a while. Harry and Hermione sat down and got caught up with Hagrid. Naturally Hagrid was overjoyed to see them and was happy they had gotten together.

Harry made Hagrid's year when he told him about his time in the dragon preserve in the United States. Hagrid kept peppering him with questions about the things he did, and Harry gladly shared what he had been doing. Hagrid let out a huge bellow of laughter about the story of how the dragon Harry had helped chose his name. Hagrid also informed Harry the same thing Hermione had said that it was a great honor to have a dragon name itself after you. After a couple of hours of catching up, Harry and Hermione told Hagrid that they had to be going.

They returned home and went to planning the meeting for that night. Harry sent Fawkes to Ron with a message to come when he could to help with devising some tactical plans for certain high profile targets Voldemort may have been interested in. Fawkes appeared back with a burst of flame a short time later.

'_Harry, your friend Ron said he had already started to work on some plans and possible scenarios, but he will only have a couple ready for tonight's meeting. He also asked me to let you know that he would like to come for dinner afterwards,'_ Fawkes said.

Hermione's head whipped around looking at Fawkes with her jaw hanging open. Harry looked puzzled for a moment. But then he looked back and forth between the two, starting to realize that it seemed that Hermione could hear Fawkes as well.

"Mione? Can you hear him?" Harry asked in awe. Hermione could only nod, as she could still not find the right words to handle the moment. "Fawkes, how is that possible? I thought you could only communicate with the person you had bonded with."

'_Ahh Harry, you have much to learn,'_ Fawkes said with a couple of trills that sounded like him chuckling. '_When a phoenix bonds to a person, they are also able to be heard by that person's soul mate._"

Harry looked over to Hermione. She had gotten over her shock and was lost in thought. A sly grin came to her face as she looked over at Harry.

"Well Harry. It looks like you are stuck with me," she said jokingly. Harry just smiled and walked over to her. He pulled her into a hug and let out a small laugh.

"Trust me, Mione, there is no one I would rather be stuck with," Harry said. Hermione tightened her grip around him and smiled. "How about tomorrow night we have a nice dinner in the formal dining room? Just the two of us. I'll give Dobby and Winky the night off. We should be able to have a nice quiet dinner without any interruptions."

"Of course Harry, I would love to," she said. "So, shall we prepare for the meeting tonight? I can make some outlines of what we want to do." Harry smiled at the beautiful young woman in his arms.

"That would be great Hermione," Harry said. "I think we need to do a lot of work. But we need to know how we are going to accomplish our goals and end this war once and for all."

They sat down in the study, drawing up papers. Hermione also managed to make a stronger contract that would ferret out the people who were spies for Voldemort. This time she made the parchment freeze the person who had ill intentions towards the group. Harry looked a bit harassed when she had him test it.

She had set it up so that Harry had to promise never to prank her again; he was frozen on the spot, unable to move anything but his eyes. She smirked and warned him that whatever he would do in the future, she would retaliate in spades.

Harry sat back after being released, and smiled. The Order of the Phoenix would be taking on a whole new direction and purpose, starting that night.


	16. The Board is Set

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait everyone. I had a bit of a time trying to get this chapter correct. But the good new is, after this chapter, the story is pretty much planned and ready to write. So the future updates should be quite a bit faster now.

Enjoy!

**Chapter Fifteen**

**The Board is Set…**

Harry, Hermione, and Ron arrived at headquarters first, and began to setup everything that was needed. They were using 12 Grimmauld Place as their headquarters, especially since Remus still owned the house after he had inherited it from Sirius' will.

The first part of the meeting would be back at the Leaky Cauldron for the roster portion of the meeting. Harry had given Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, a sizeable sum of money to reserve the pub for a few hours, so they would not be interrupted. Harry left to get his two people he wanted in the order while Hermione left to get her boss at the Department of Mysteries. Ron went to get Sharon, so she could officially join the Order. Harry had left to get John Edwards, mainly because he was another person that was high up in the ministry, as well as a well justified cause to support them. The other person he went to retrieve was a person he had met while traveling for the past few years.

Everyone started to come into the pub around half six. They setup the parchment that Hermione had made for the roster, charmed only to be read by the three of them, as well as the spell that would reveal spies. The meeting was to start at seven. When everyone had signed the new roster, they would move the meeting to the proper location. There was some pleasant conversation, while Tom setup some drinks for the gathering. When seven rolled around, Harry cleared his throat loudly and everyone settled down to listen.

"Thank you for coming," Harry said. "You all know why you are here. The biggest threat any of us have ever faced, Voldemort, has returned." Harry was pleased to see only two or three people still flinched a bit, while the majority of the crowd simply listened.

"It's good to see that most of us have remembered what Albus said about fearing a name," Harry said with a grin. A few people chuckled a bit, and Harry pressed on. "Before we get to anything more involved, we need everyone to sign the parchment here. Those of you in the DA while at Hogwarts know the drill. Those of you that don't, this parchment will serve as a binding agreement that you will never betray the Order. If you do not sign this, the door is that way. There will be no exceptions to this. The parchment will see through glamour charms, polyjuice, metamorphagus powers, and everything else you can think of."

Harry stepped down and picked up the quill next to the roster. He signed his name under one of the three spots for the leaders. He stepped to the side and Hermione signed in the next spot. Ron quickly signed his name and then the others started to line up. John Edwards was the first in line and he signed his name proudly. He stepped to the side and motioned Harry over to him. Hermione and Ron nodded while they watched the signatures filling up the parchment, their wands close to their hands just in case.

"Mr. Potter," John said quietly. "I have a big favor to ask of you. Please hear me out before you say anything." Harry nodded for him to continue.

"Please, Mr. Edwards, call me Harry," he said. John grinned and nodded.

"Only if you call me John."

"Done," Harry said. "What can I do for you?"

"Harry, as you know from that night, Crystal is all I have left. I lost the rest of my family the last time Voldemort was alive. I have a huge request for you," John said. "If I don't survive this war, would you take in my daughter?"

Harry bowed his head. '_What kind of a world do we live in that someone has to make plans like this?_' he thought to himself.

"I – " Harry started to say, but he was interrupted by an explosion of angry voices and cries of disbelief. Harry quickly ran back to the line and stopped short at the sight before him. He stared angrily at the person that was now pertified while leaning over to sign the parchment.

"Well, that was unexpected," Harry growled. He looked down to the surprised form of Cho Chang. "Of all the people…" Harry shook his head. "Tonks, have you signed yet?"

"Yes I have, Harry," she said. Harry grinned.

"Good, would you be so kind as to _obliviate_ her and drop her off somewhere?"

"Done, and done," Tonks said with a smile. Harry grinned and knew that Cho would probably be dropped off in Leeds or somewhere just as seedy. Tonks gripped Cho's arm and they disappeared with a pop.

"As you all can see, this parchment catches you before you can damage the group at all. Now that you all have seen that, please continue," Harry said. He was still mulling over the question John Edwards had raised to him. He knew that he could take care of the little girl financially, but he had no idea on how to raise a child. Hermione noticed Harry's furrowed brow.

"Harry? What's wrong?" she asked. He shook his head and mouthed the word 'later'. She nodded and they continued to watch the roster fill up.

The last person finished their signature around eight. Hermione counted the signatures and then counted people and was pleased to report that the numbers matched. Harry nodded approvingly, and he gathered up the rest of the things they had brought with. Hermione made the portkeys to Grimmauld Place so the meeting could continue. Remus stood up on one of the tables so he could get everyone's attention. He said the address out loud since he was the secret keeper, and everyone nodded that they heard him. Harry was the last one out of the pub, waiting for a minute so that the previous group could get out of the portkey arrival zone they had set up.

ooo

Harry arrived at the house and he quickly walked to the front door. He entered and everyone quieted down in a second. He froze in mid-stride and eyed everyone.

"What?" Harry asked cautiously. "Do I have something on my face?"

He heard a snort from Ron and everyone laughed. Harry relaxed and shut the door so the meeting could get started. Everyone assembled in the expansive basement that had been setup with enough chairs for everyone. Harry stood up in front and looked over everyone. He fidgeted nervously, as he had never taken on this big of a role before. Sure, he had been the point person for the last big battle at Hogwarts, but he never considered himself the leader at that time. Hermione nodded at him and smiled. Ron gave him a grin to encourage him.

"Welcome to the new Order of the Phoenix," Harry started. He took a deep breath and pressed on. "Today things change. As you all know, Voldemort is back, and we are the main group to lead the fight against him. I plan to take our pledge to the Minister of Magic to make our group legitimate. Now that was the easy section of my speech.

"Tonight we take on a new direction. We are no longer a reactive group. Last time around we only took action if one of ours were threatened. Now, we take the fight to the Death Eaters. We need to gather some information first, but if you run across someone who you _know _is a Death Eater, you are to take them in. If you suspect them to be one, contact someone who has the information handy. What I am saying is, use _whatever_ means are necessary to neutralize your opponent. If the Death Eater is killed in the course of the fight, so be it." There were a few gasps of surprise to his remark.

"I know some of you might disagree to this course of action. But you all know I have seen first hand what they can do to others if given the chance. Of course, I would like to see them stunned and stand trial. But if you are left no choice and it comes down to it, make sure they are never able to hurt anyone ever again."

"We all knew Albus' beliefs. Always try to give them a second chance. But that had been constantly been proven to be a useless way of doing things, especially when the ones that had the second chance at life tried to kill us again. That ends now."

There were several people muttering in the crowd as Harry gazed over the group. He noticed a few disbelieving stares, but the majority were simply assimilating the information. Harry was broken out of his thoughts by Amos Diggory.

"Why should we listen to you?" he said. "I know you are a great fighter Harry, but someone else should be leading the Order, not a young man with limited experience." Harry was about to answer when an angry John Edwards yelled at Amos.

"Amos! After what Harry did for your son by bringing his body back and risking himself to do that, how could you ask that?" John asked heatedly. "I saw first hand what Harry is capable of. I saw him leap in front of me and take the _cruciatus_ curse to save me and my daughter. I saw him withstand it like it was nothing. I'd follow him to hell and back if he asked me to." John turned to face the rest of the Order. "I know that most of you have been friends, colleagues, or even been saved by Harry. We all know what he is capable of. We all know how much he cares for everyone here. I for one agree with the new direction he is talking about."

There were several yells of agreement from every end of the room. Amos had the decency to look a bit ashamed at his outburst. Everyone agreed with the new direction they were taking. With that section of business out of the way, they turned to more mundane matters, such as getting a bit more information and assigning tasks to people who could gather intelligence.

"Now that we have assignments setup, does anyone have anything they want to report?" Harry asked. He saw a hand in the back and the person stood up. "What do you have, Mr.?"

"Joel Cornell, Mr. Potter. There have been discrete yet urgent inquiries for highly skilled potion masters. It seems that your assault on Severus has most likely taken him out of the picture. It also seems that they need some restorative potions for Voldemort himself. Is there anything that anyone has heard that could have injured him that severely?" Joel asked the room.

Everyone's eyes fell on Harry, making him shift nervously. Hermione bit her lip and Ron looked a bit nervous as well.

"I don't know, since my link with him is gone," Harry said. There was a general uproar at this statement. Hermione raised her wand and set off a loud bang that got everyone's attention. "Thanks, Hermione. As I said, my link with Voldemort is gone, but in severing it, it seems I may have dealt a heavy blow to him. The good side of this is he cannot get into my head anymore."

"What did you do to sever the link?" Molly Weasley asked. "I mean they tried when you were in school, and they never succeeded."

"I know, Molly, but something else was able to do it," Harry said. Hermione reached over and took his hand as a show of support. "I must ask everyone to swear an oath that what I am about to say is to never be repeated."

Everyone readily agreed and Hermione made sure that everyone said the oath. Harry went on to explain his enchanting skills and how he created the Edge of the Light. He explained the abilities and properties of the weapon and everyone was amazed at the implications. He pulled the sword from its scabbard and everyone got to see the weapon that was supposed to have the power to neutralize Voldemort. He then explained what happened during the Diagon Alley battle, and how he ended up using the sword on himself. He did not say anything about his decreased power though, just to be safe.

"Well, Harry," Kingsley Shacklebolt said. "It looks like a fine sword, but can you wield it properly?" Harry looked over and saw the challenging look on Kingsley's face.

"Care to find out, Kingsley?" Harry said with a grin. The rules were agreed on, and spells had been put on the blades to keep them from killing each other. Kingsley pulled out a light broadsword from the scabbard on his back. They warmed up a bit and Harry pulled off his black button down shirt. Hermione blushed at his saucy grin he shot at her when he caught her looking at him. Hermione called them to the center of the room, while everyone else backed up to give them some room.

"Alright you two, make sure you don't kill each other," she said.

"Yes mum," Harry said cheekily. Hermione huffed and sent him a mock glare.

"Begin!" she yelled.

The two swordsmen rushed each other and there was a loud clang as the swords met. Harry deflected a strong vertical slash that came from above him and rolled to the side while swiping at Kingsley's legs. Kingsley jumped to avoid the attack and they set out in an elaborate fight filled with breathtaking moves. Harry started to over power Kingsley, to which Kingsley responded with a spell. Harry deftly ducked the spell and used his blade to deflect the next two silent curses that followed. Harry's eyes narrowed and he started moving so quickly that Kingsley had to stop casting just to keep up parrying the blows that were raining down on him.

Hermione smiled when Harry went on the offensive. She loved watching him fight with a sword. Harry was in his element. This was what he had been passionate about during the last four years. No mater what he had been doing, no matter where he was, he had always loved learning the ways of a swordsman. Kingsley was a worthy opponent, but he made one little mistake and Harry took advantage of it. He swung his blade around and came down with the force of a sledge hammer and Kingsley's blade was snapped in two. Kingsley looked up in shock and saw Harry holding his sword in a position that made him yield.

Everyone started applauding for Harry and he reached his hand down to help Kingsley up from the floor.

"Sorry about your sword," Harry said sheepishly. "I can repair it, or I can make a new blade if you want." Kingsley smiled and nodded.

"Well, it's a good thing I keep my family sword at home locked up," he said with a laugh. "If you could, make me a new one. I'd love to see what you come up with. By the way, what is that blade made from?"

"Oh the usual," Harry said with a grin. "You know, titanium and diamond mixture. The basics, I guess."

Kingsley gaped like a fish for a few moments, before Tonks and Ron led him off to sit down. Hermione ran her hand over his chest when he turned to her, and he saw a very strange look in her eyes.

"Hermione? Are you ok?" Harry asked. Hermione blinked a few times and blushed a bit.

"I'm fine, Harry," she said breathlessly. She looked up at him and she gave him a look that promised him a deeper explanation when they were alone later.

The meeting broke up soon afterwards, and Harry promised Kingsley his new sword in a few days. After the meeting was finished, Harry and Hermione apparated to Ron's house for dinner where they spent the next few hours talking and eating. They covered many subjects, and then Ron brought up the wedding.

"Harry, we want to have the wedding very soon, especially since it looks like things will be busy for a while soon. We were hoping to set it up for next weekend," Ron said. "We are going to have the wedding at the Burrow, and Bill has already set the wards up that bars anyone with a dark mark from stepping onto the grounds."

Harry sat back and looked over at his best friend. He had come a long way from the boy that once was termed to have 'the emotional range of a teaspoon'. He was amazed at how mature he had become. Harry liked the fact they had already had the wards fixed, but he was going to ask that the Order provide a security force as well to be at the ceremony. Hermione was already writing the letter when he leaned over to ask her to do that exact thing. He shook his head and Ron snorted.

"That sounds good, Ron," Harry said. "What colors do you want me in?"

"Midnight blue and wine are the colors we selected," Sharon said. "Hermione, do you feel up to being one of the bride's maids?" Hermione smiled.

"Of course!" she said. "When do you need me to get fitted for the dress?

"Well, tomorrow if you could," Sharon said. "Madam Malkin said she had it ready for you to try on tomorrow."

"I'll be there!" Hermione said excitedly. Harry and Hermione finished their glasses of wine that they had been sipping for a while and they stood to leave. Well, if we have to get this done in the next few days, we should be off. We have a busy day tomorrow."

She gave Ron and Sharon each a hug goodbye and stepped back for Harry to say goodnight. He kissed Sharon's cheek and gave her a quick hug. Ron reached out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry pulled him into a hug as well. They said goodnight and apparated to the edge of Harry's wards.

The walk up to the house was done in silence, but Harry kept noticing that Hermione was acting strangely. She kept glancing at him with hungry eyes. He thought he knew what she was thinking, but he wasn't about to spoil the mood. They reached the front door, and as soon as it closed, Hermione pounced on him. Her kisses grew more and more passionate as they made their way to the bedroom. Harry managed to break away for a moment.

"Hermione," he gasped. "Let me come up for air! Plus, I need a shower after the fight I had with Kingsley."

"I thought you'd never ask," she said as she hurriedly started to unbutton her shirt. He grinned and started to undress as well. They managed to get into the shower and things just heated up from there. After a steamy shower that was not just because of the hot water, they managed to get back to the bedroom. He suddenly pulled away for a moment and looked into her eyes.

"Hermione," Harry started to say. He looked down and blushed a bit. "I, er, have never, well, you know…" She smiled down at him. She leaned down and put her lips next to his ear, her breath sending an excited shiver down his spine.

"It's ok Harry," she whispered into his ear. "Neither have I…"

Harry closed his eyes as their kiss deepened and the lights went out.

ooo

Harry woke up a while later and smiled. He tightened his arm and pulled her closer to himself. He kissed the top of her head and breathed in her scent, letting it take over his senses. He loved her so much. His life seemed almost complete with her in it. He just had a couple of loose ends to tie up so he could live a life as normal as he could make it.


	17. What the?

**A/N:** Here you go! Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

**Chapter 16**

**What the…?**

The cloaked figure darted between trees, hoping to avoid the search party that had been sent out to bring him back. They had been instructed to bring him in dead or alive, but the emphasis was leaning towards dead. He didn't like that idea, and he had overheard some of the members of the search party joking about what they would do to him before they killed him. Just the mental images were enough to make him shudder and break out into a cold sweat.

He had reached an expansive clearing, but he was wary of crossing it. They had his wand, so he had very little to no defenses against the group of Death Eaters hunting him. There was a reason why they wanted him dead. The information he overheard was nothing short of astounding. He had to get to Harry Potter, if only to let him know before he was killed.

His stomach growled, reminding him that he had not eaten in three days. His sharp eyes darted back and forth over the clearing. He made the wise decision to circle around the clearing, hoping that he would be able to keep his half day lead of the Death Eaters. He had reached the halfway point when he heard the Death Eaters start to cross the clearing. He cursed under his breath and turned south. The journey was going to take a bit longer than he hoped.

ooo

Saturday had come much faster than Ron had expected it to. He was nervously fidgeting with his dress robes while Harry was getting ready. Harry had to move to another room as Ron had asked for the twentieth time if Harry had the rings with him. Harry had rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath and told Ron to sit down and take a few deep breaths. Harry came back in fully dressed and eyed Ron.

"Mate, you're going to make the robes fall apart if you keep messing with them," Harry said with a grin. Ron dropped the robes and Harry noticed his hands were trembling. "Ron?"

Ron looked up with a slightly terrified look in his eyes.

"Harry, what am I doing?" Ron asked quietly. "I'm not sure if I can go through with this."

"Of course you can, Ron," Harry said. "You love her, right?" Ron nodded in the affirmative. "If you love her, and want to be with her forever, this is the right thing to do, right?" Seeing Ron nod again, Harry continued.

"Mate, we've been best friends for over ten years now, and I know that you have never had anything this perfect before."

"But Harry," Ron said with a trembling voice. "What if I die in the coming battles? I don't know if I can put her through that." Harry sat down across from Ron, and stared at him.

"Ron, I want you to hear this," Harry said. "You know the past I have had. You remember what I did during sixth year, right? Well at that time, I thought the same thing you are saying now. That's why I tried to push you all away in the beginning. I couldn't bear the thought of you all used to having me around and being close friends, even bordering on family, and then if I got killed how it would hurt you all.

"I figured that if you all didn't like me anymore, and if I got killed in the final battle, it would not be as hard to deal with. But you know what? I realized during the last four years, that having just a short time with someone you care about is better than trying to make them forget about you. It means more to a person that even in the face of death; you would want to spend your last days being as close as possible. I learned that the hard way, mate. Don't do what I did," Harry finished. Ron sat back and stared at the ceiling. He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. He looked back at Harry.

"You're right, mate," Ron said.

"Of course I am," Harry said. "Aren't I always?" Ron let out an amused snort. "Besides Ron, you are now another person who went toe to toe with Voldemort and survived. A little thing like your wedding shouldn't scare you now."

"Shut it Harry," Ron said with a grin. Harry smiled and pushed Ron out through the door to get to the backyard. As they walked out into the Burrow's backyard, they saw the entire Order there, checking things over to make sure everything was secure. Harry walked over to Mad Eye Moody to confer with him for a moment. Everyone got into position and waited for the ceremony to start.

ooo

The cloaked figure cursed again, as he heard the Death Eaters gaining on him. He frantically threw his cloak off, guessing that it had a tracking charm on it. He hated to get rid of the cloak, as it was the last gift he got from his mother before she was killed. He pushed himself to run faster and came out of the trees. He glanced around and saw nothing in the clearing. He dashed across it and turned to head west. Once he got to another group of trees, he stopped to take a quick rest for a moment. Once he caught his breath he started running again.

He came out of the trees to a small town. He wandered around for a moment, looking for a place to rest. It seemed like a muggle village, but he did not know where. All he knew is that he had been running for three days now, and was desperate to find a way to contact Harry. Harry had to know what was being planned, and if it could be stopped.

ooo

Ron stood at on the podium, waiting for the ceremony to start. Harry had gone back in so he could do his part in the procession. The music started up and he looked to the back door of the burrow. The first pair out was Bill and one of Sharon's younger sisters who was named Kara. They took their places and the next pair started. Charlie was walking towards him with Sharon's other sister, Julie. Next up was Harry and Hermione.

Hermione and Sharon had hit it off right away, with both of them being muggleborn. Sharon did not hesitate to make Hermione her maid of honor, due to her being one of Ron's closest friends. Harry was having a hard time keeping his eyes forward, due to how beautiful Hermione looked. Hermione was also in the same boat, and the custom tailored tuxedo Harry was wearing highlighted his strong and well built frame. They made it to the front without incident, but Harry gave her a kiss on her cheek which made them both blush.

The music changed to the wedding march and Ron directed his attention at the backdoor again. His ability to breathe suddenly disappeared as Sharon walked out in step with her father. Her dress was sleeveless, and decorated with small jewels that had been enchanted to sparkle even more. The train was ten feet long behind her and her hair was pulled up on the sides, but the back was curled into elegant loose spirals. Her father looked impressive in his United States Army dress blues, and it was decorated with so many ribbons and medals, that it even made Harry's medal collection seem to be lacking.

Harry looked over to Ron, who had a wide smile on his face, and if he was nervous, he didn't show it at all. Ron reached out and shook her father's hand and gave him a quick hug. Sharon turned to her father and he hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.

The service went flawlessly. It was a combination of a traditional muggle wedding with a few wizarding elements put in. The vows were a magical oath, and the rings were magical as well. Harry performed the magical portion while a muggle minister had done the rest. Thankfully the minister had known of the magical world for quite some time, due to his sister being a witch. So he knew the places in which to stop and let Harry perform the needed spells.

When the wedding finished, Ron and Sharon walked down first, then followed by the rest of the wedding party. They all went inside while the backyard was rearranged for the reception. They came back out and Sharon had already changed into her normal robes and Ron had taken off his cloak. They took their places at the head table and everyone sat down with chatter filling the air. After a few minutes Harry stood up, tapping his fork against his champagne glass. Everyone quieted down, and Harry cleared his throat

"It seems that the first speech is mine," Harry started to say. "I won't bore you all with a horribly long winded speech, as I know that Hermione has that covered."

"Hey!" she shouted, scandalized. Everyone chuckled at her indignant glare at Harry. He just looked over and smiled, giving her a saucy wink. She blushed and hid her face in her hands.

"Now, all of you know this great young man, my best mate in the world, Ron Weasley. It seems so long ago that he was a timid boy that asked to join me in the Hogwarts Express compartment, oblivious to the smudge of dirt on his nose." Everyone laughed at this. Harry continued once the laughter died down. "But I will say this. Having him join me that day was the best thing I could have ever done. After becoming best mates right away, I gained something I never had before. A family." Harry paused here to look over at Ron, who was wiping tears out of his eyes.

"I gained the greatest family in the world, and it only is fitting that I am here today, wishing these two people the best of luck and a long and happy life. My brother has just been married, and I could not be happier at this moment. Sharon, please take care of my brother for me, as you will be by his side much more than I can be. And just remember, his snoring could wake the dead, do watch out for that."

Ron jumped up and grabbed Harry into a tight brotherly hug. Harry smiled at the warm feeling in his gut. He broke away from Ron and gave Sharon a hug as well, getting a kiss on the cheek from her. He had one last thing to say, and he knew it was going to hit a sore spot for a lot of people.

"Ron, I have one last thing to say," he said as he choked up a bit. "Ginny would be so happy for you. She would be so proud to see the man you have become. And if she were still with us, I daresay that she would be squeezing the stuffing out of you right now."

A few sniffles were heard from the other tables, and Ron sat there with a wistful expression on his face. A few tears fell from his eyes and he closed them and turned his face into the sun. He smiled when a warm breeze swept over the whole gathering.

"See mate? She is," Harry said with a small smile. "Thanks."

Everyone stood up and cheered as Harry let Hermione have the floor. She cleared her throat and wiped her tears away. When everyone sat back down she started speaking.

"Ron and Sharon. I'm so happy for the two of you. When Ron and I first met, it looked like we would be at each other's throats forever. I also seem to recall the words 'she's a nightmare, honestly!' were some of the first memories I have of Ron," she said as he hid his face. She smiled and lightly punched him on the shoulder and continued.

"But that night, Ron and Harry saved my life, in more ways that one. I was ready to go back home and forget about the wizarding world. But in a span of four minutes, I gained the best friends that anyone could want. Ron had put up with me nagging him about schoolwork. Now Ron, aren't you glad I did? I mean if you had ignored your studies, you would have never been able to get into the Auror program, and you would have never met Sharon."

"Thank Merlin for that!" Sharon blurted out with a smile.

"So to make this short, congratulations to both of you. I couldn't wish for better friends!" Hermione finished, raising her glass to the two of them.

The reception progressed and Harry danced with Sharon once, and then spent the most of the time with Hermione. Tonks asked to cut in for a dance, and Mrs. Weasley also snagged him for a quick dance as well. Things were going well until a piercing wail cut through the air.

ooo

He had run through the village after catching his breath again when he saw the Death Eaters come out of the tree line. He ran from the small café where he had gotten a glass of water to cool his burning throat. He ran like the devil was on his heels, looking for somewhere to hide. The Death Eaters had not noticed him until he was a distance away from them and they had to try and chase him down.

He ran until he felt like his legs were made of flobberworms. He was running along a dirt path when hit some kind of magical barrier. He was tossed back and landed hard on his side. Over the pounding in his ears he heard a loud piercing wail that sounded like he had tripped a ward of some type. He reached out and felt his hand run into the barrier and it was pushed back with a bit of force. What he didn't see was Harry Potter come charging out of the barrier a few yards away with a magnificent sword in his hand and his wand drawn.

"YOU!" Harry shouted. The made spun around and his jaw dropped. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

ooo

Harry quickly kissed Hermione and dashed inside. He ran to the room he was staying in for the night and tossed his jacket aside. He grabbed his sword and strapped it to his back and drew his wand. He flicked his wand and the alarm dropped in volume inside the house. He had gotten better with the strength of his spells, but he was still nowhere near what he was before he used the sword on himself.

He thundered down the stairs and saw that other Order members were prepping for battle as well. Harry darted out of the front door and charged toward the edge of the wards. He could see a young man get up from being thrown back from the barrier and reach out to touch it. Harry circled around behind the man and drew his sword. Because of the barrier, he could not see who it was, but it could only mean one thing if he was stopped by the barrier. The man had the Dark Mark.

Harry charged through the barrier a few yards away and spun to confront the man at the edge of the wards. His eyes flashed with anger and he slowly started to approach the person he least expected to show his face around those parts, Draco Malfoy.

"YOU!" Harry snarled. Draco spun around and had a terrified look on his face. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Draco spluttered for a moment and he quickly approached Harry with his hands up.

"Potter! You have to help me!" Draco yelled. Harry stopped moving and his eyes flashed again.

"Why should I? You helped murder Dumbledore!" Harry shouted. He raised his sword and pointed it at Draco. Little did Harry know, but the whole Order had stopped just inside the wards and was watching the exchange.

"Potter! We don't have time for this right now. There are several Death eaters after me! I have information that will help you!" Draco shouted as Harry advanced on him. Harry didn't look like he was listening, and continued to move towards Draco. "Potter! Wait!" When Harry made no sign of stopping, Draco became desperate.

"Harry!" Draco shouted. At hearing Malfoy use his first name in a manner that said he was truly in danger, Harry stopped advancing. "Please, Harry. Hear me out! Just let me in!" Harry thought hard about it and spoke.

"Malfoy, in order to let you in the wards need to be dropped. It bars anyone with the Dark Mark from entering. There is no way I am lowering the wards just for you," Harry said. "It would take too much time to put them back up." Draco blanched and rushed towards Harry. Harry raised his sword in a defensive stance and his eyes widened at Draco's charge. But Draco stopped just short of Harry and held his hand out.

"Give me the sword for a moment, Harry," Draco said quickly. Harry eyed him with distinct distrust. "Fine then, if you won't hand it to me, then I want you to do something for me." Harry raised his eyebrow in question. "Cut off my left arm."

Harry's jaw dropped in shock. Draco looked over his shoulder and saw the Death Eaters closing in. His breathing became irregular and he turned to Harry again.

"NOW HARRY!" Draco shouted. He raised his arm and gritted his teeth, turning his head away. Harry stood there not believing what Draco was asking him to do.

"DO IT!!!" Draco screamed.

Time seemed to slow as Harry lifted his sword and whirled it a couple of times and brought it swiftly down. With a sickly wet noise and a thump on the ground, Draco howled in pain and threw himself towards the barrier. Without the Dark Mark on his body, he fell right through onto the grass. Hermione rushed to his side and quickly started casting spells to stop the blood rushing out of his arm.

Harry stood just outside of the wards, staring down at Draco's left forearm. He quickly cast an _incendio_ and watched it burn. When the Death Eaters came close enough, Harry turned and faced them. The Death Eaters stopped and stared at Harry.

"Well, well, well, Potter. Fancy seeing you here," the man said.

Harry looked over his shoulder and made a simple statement.

"Take them."

The Death Eaters laughed at him, thinking that Harry had gone crazy and was talking to thin air. Their laughter stopped suddenly when twenty Order members charged through the Barrier and it was over before the Death Eaters could even raise their wands. Only one had survived and he was badly injured. Harry stepped over to the leader's form.

"You can tell Voldemort the gloves are off," Harry said. "Make sure to tell him before you die, which will not be too long from now."

Harry kicked the man's arm so that it hit the portkey that was hanging out of the man's robes, and the Death Eater disappeared from sight. He sheathed his sword and walked back through the barrier. He looked down at Draco.

"This had better be worth it, Malfoy. Otherwise I'll deliver you to Voldemort myself," Harry said in a cool manner. He started to walk away to let everyone else know what happened, when Draco's voice stopped him.

"Harry?" Harry raised an eyebrow when he turned and looked at Draco.

"Yes?" Draco took a deep breath and stared at Harry.

"Thanks for saving my life," Draco said. Harry hid his surprise at Draco's gratitude and nodded.

ooo

Harry decided to hold off on Draco's interrogation for a day or so while Draco was recovering. He and Hermione left the reception and retreated to their room. Draco was under Madame Pomfrey's care and under guard, just in case. They entered the room and Hermione sat down on the bed. Harry walked to the window and stared out of it, his jaw set in a tight line.

"Harry?" Hermione asked quietly. "Are you alright?" Harry sighed and bowed his head.

"Somewhat," he responded. "A lot has happened today."

"I agree," Hermione said. "At least the wedding was not interrupted."

Harry smirked and nodded. He stood there and lost himself in thought. Hermione saw this and got up and walked over to him. She pulled him into her arms and laid her head on his chest. They stood like that for a while, and Harry started stroking her hair as he mulled over the day's events. Ron had been a bit put out that Draco was in the same household, but when he was told what Draco had done, he became thoughtful and stopped his complaints.

Hermione broke away and gave Harry a small kiss. He smiled and nodded as she got her sleep clothes together and left for the bathroom to shower and change. Harry stood by the window and took a deep breath. '_Should I do it tonight?_' he thought to himself.

ooo

The near dead man landed at the feet of the guards. They rushed to the man's side and tried to do what they could. They levitated him into the house and down the main corridor. After knocking on the chamber's door, they entered cautiously, knowing what they would be facing.

"What is it?" a cold high pitched voice asked. "I asked for no disturbances! _Crucio!_"

The first man fell to the ground writhing in pain and screaming. The other guard fell to his knees and crawled forward until he reached Voldemort's feet. He kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes and stayed low.

"My lord, please forgive our intrusion. But we felt this was important," the guard said.

"Speak!" Voldemort hissed.

"My lord, this man came back like this. He was on the search party for the traitor," the guard explained.

Voldemort ended the curse on the first guard and sat on his throne. He hid the fact that he was still very weak from whatever had injured him not too long ago, and he could not hold the curse for very long.

"Continue," Voldemort said.

"Yes my lord," the guard said. "The leader has a message from Potter."

Voldemort looked at the dying man in front of him. The man struggled to speak, but he managed to say what he needed to.

"My… Lord… Potter s-says… Gloves… Are off…" the man said with his dying breath. His head rolled to the side and death took him. Voldemort hissed in a quiet rage.

"_Crucio!_" he bellowed at the second guard. He held the curse for a few moments more before stopping, still feeling the draining effects of using powerful curses so close together. He was getting stronger, though. He would not admit it to anyone, but he was disappointed that Severus had passed on earlier in the day. '_That Potter is taking away some of my best tools. It's time we devised a plan to take his greatest asset away from him._' Voldemort thought to himself.

"Leave! And take this with you!" Voldemort commanded, pointing at the dead body at his feet. Voldemort sat back and began to formulate a devious plan that would hurt Harry in the worst way.

ooo

Hermione came back into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, looking over at Harry. Something was making him edgy, as she could tell by his hand running through his hair frequently.

"Harry," Hermione said. "What's wrong?"

Harry turned and looked at her. She noticed he had an uncertain look in his eyes, and his hand was fiddling with something in his pocket. He took a deep breath and walked over to the bed and sat down next to her.

"Harry, you're making me nervous, now what's wrong?" Hermione said. Secretly she was worried with things heating up again with Voldemort; he was going to rush off on his own again.

"Hermione, I have a serious question for you," Harry said. "I'm not sure if this is the right time to bring it up, but I can't wait anymore."

Hermione was getting a bit more nervous. He sounded like he wanted to leave again. She reached over and took his hand in hers and smiled nervously, not letting go of his hand. That way, if he did disappear, she would end up going with. She couldn't bear it if he left again. Harry took a deep breath and stared at the floor.

"'Mione, The past couple of months with you have been great," he started. Her heart dropped into her stomach and she knew he was leaving her. "I just feel that it isn't right for us to live like this."

He reached over and wiped a few tears from her cheeks.

"Oh please don't cry, you know I can't take that," Harry said. "Now as I was saying, living like we are is not fair to either of us. I just can't act like this anymore. It's not fair to you for me to keep you like this. You have had to put up with the worst I can offer you."

"Oh Harry, you know I will take you anyway I can get you," she said through her tears. He smiled gently and cupped her cheek with his hand.

"Hermione, I have to ask you," Harry said. He took a deep breath and looked up to the ceiling. "Merlin this is hard."

"Harry, befor—" she started to say when he cut her off with his hand held up to forestall her.

"Hermione Granger, Will you marry me?"


	18. Questions and Answers

**A/N:** Here is the next chapter! After this chapter, the real action starts and pretty much continues for the rest of the story. If you all think I can improve this chapter, please let me know!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 17**

**Questions and Answers**

Ron and Sharon were due to take a few days for a honeymoon the next morning after the wedding. Everyone had been settling down and getting ready for bed when they heard a loud scream and what sounded like a body being thrown roughly onto the floor. The sound came from Harry and Hermione's room. Everyone grabbed their wands, prepared for the worst and to decimate the attackers, rushing to the door that led to Harry and Hermione's room. They were confused at what they saw when the door was opened however.

Harry was pinned beneath an ecstatic Hermione, how was promptly pinning Harry to the floor and was tickling the life out of him. He had tears running down his face from laughter and he was trying to catch his breath.

"Harry James Potter! That was a bit uncalled for!" Hermione yelled, unable to keep the smile from her face. But upon hearing someone clear their throat at the door, Hermione stopped attacking Harry for a moment to see the amused, yet confused faces of the Weasley family. "Oh, hello."

"Hermione, would you care to explain what is going on?" Ron said with a smirk. Hermione smiled and nodded. She got one last dig into Harry, and stood up.

"Yes, I will," she said. "This git here, decided to make me think he was going to leave me with the way he was talking." Ron whipped his head towards Harry, and looked a bit put out.

"Yeah, but Hermione," Harry said with a grin. "You still have not answered my question." Hermione huffed and turned towards him again. She was shocked to see him on one knee, holding the most gorgeous ring she had ever seen.

"Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" Harry asked again. Sharon's hand shot up to her mouth and she let out a muffled scream behind her hand. Mrs. Weasley was tearing up, as she was happy for Harry. Ron stood there with a grin, waiting for Hermione to answer. Hermione grinned and reached down to take Harry's hand.

"Of course I will, you prat!" she said excitedly. He had a goofy smile on his face and Harry slipped the ring onto her left hand. Hermione yanked him up from the floor and proceeded to kiss him in such a manner that made everyone look away and blush.

When Hermione finally released Harry, he was standing there with a dazed and far off expression. Ron clapped him on the back, and Mrs. Weasley pulled him into a bone crushing hug, crying about how happy she was for Harry. Mr. Weasley rescued Harry and to let him breathe again. Sharon hugged Hermione, and Ron did as well.

"It's about time, mate," Ron said to Harry. Harry grinned and nodded his head.

"Yeah, who would have thought that I was more afraid of asking her to marry me than facing twenty Death Eaters alone," Harry said. Ron laughed and shook his head.

Everyone finally left the bedroom, giving Harry and Hermione their privacy. Hermione was still staring at the ring Harry had put on her finger. It was a fairly simple band with some Celtic markings on it, and the sparkling diamond was at least one carat. She could barely believe that this was happening. She had already started a mental to do list for the wedding. Harry broke her train of thought when he waved his hand in front of her face.

"Hermione?" Harry asked with a smirk. "Already planning are we?" Hermione grinned and blushed because he could read her that well. "In that case, I want to talk to you about this." Hermione raised a curious eyebrow at his sudden change of demeanor. Harry took a deep breath and steeled himself.

"I wanted to wait until this whole thing with Voldemort is done," Harry said. Hermione nodded her head in understanding. "I would like to get it done, that way we won't have that to worry about and trying to juggle planning a wedding. It's not that I am not ready, it's just that I want to make sure we can lead peaceful lives."

"I agree, Harry. I was going to ask you if we were going to wait as well," Hermione stated. "I feel the same way. I don't want to have a massive security force standing by just to make sure we can go through our ceremony. I want that day to be a carefree day that we can thoroughly enjoy together."

Harry smiled and nodded. He had thought Hermione would want to get it done right away. He was pleasantly surprised that she thought about the same things. They talked for about another hour, attempting to hash out a few details about the wedding, the war, and other things. They both went to sleep with smiles on their faces, and they both had a good night's rest.

ooo 

Harry woke early intending to get his morning run finished before breakfast. Hermione stirred and sleepily blinked a few times. She saw him start to get ready for his run, and she quickly got up and got ready, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She gave his a quick kiss good morning before she started to change into her running outfit. Harry made sure they both had their wands with them and set out from the back door, only to see Ron and Sharon warming up for a run as well.

Hermione's jaw dropped a little bit seeing Ron up this early. He shrugged it off and explained that it was part of the Auror routine. They were already packed for a quick three day honeymoon in the countryside near Hogwarts. They were saving their true honeymoon for when the war was over.

As the four of them set off at a brisk pace, they chatted and made a few minor plans for when Ron and Sharon returned. They agreed that since they knew the general area of Riddle Manor, they would be able to find it again and started a basic plan on the size of force needed to take the house. Ron assured Harry that Kingsley would be able to get Ministry approval to get several companies of Aurors to assist the Order in their plan. Ron was a bit disappointed to miss out on Draco's interrogation, but Harry said it might have to wait until they returned; Draco was still recovering from his incident the previous day.

They returned to the Burrow after an hour, and Ron managed to get the shower first. Harry developed an evil grin and stuck his wand into the bathroom after Ron had gotten into the shower. Harry was about to turn the water cold when he felt a spell hit him, and Hermione dropped to the floor laughing. Ron suddenly looked through the shower curtain and promptly slipped and fell into the tub when he saw Harry, laughing hysterically.

Harry was a bit confused for a moment, but he quickly retreated into his room and stood in front of the mirror. His jaw dropped and saw that his running outfit was now hot pink with lace frills, and his forehead bore the word 'whipped'. His expression darkened for a moment, before he smirked a bit. He walked back out into the hall, only to see Hermione still on the floor. She had calmed down a bit until Harry walked back out of the room, which sent her into a fit of laughter again.

"Mione, my love," Harry said with a feral grin. "You know that revenge is coming, don't you?" Hermione tried to stop laughing and managed to, if only for a moment.

"Harry, I didn't do this!" she said.

Harry looked around and saw a quick movement out of the corner of his eye. He ran down the hall and threw open the door that the twins were staying in, only to find George and Fred still out cold. He verified this by shooting a stream of water onto the twins, which woke the both of them up quickly. Fred whirled around ready to kill whoever woke them up, but his jaw hung open when he saw Harry.

"What the…" Fred mumbled. George turned around as well and his jaw fell open.

"Bloody hell," George said, whistling lowly. "I can guarantee you mate, we didn't even think about it."

Harry stomped out of the room, grumbling under his breath. He stopped after a couple of steps, and strained his ears. He heard a small giggle come from Ron's room. Ron had now gotten out of the shower and was rushing to his room.

"Ron, my friend," Harry said pleasantly. "Mind if I have a word with your lovely wife?"

Ron smirked and tapped his door with his wand. A slight click was heard before Sharon yelled:

"Traitor!"

Harry stepped into the room, seeing Sharon in a defensive dueling stance. He smirked at her and lowered his wand. Sharon did not relax however, she had heard from Ron at how good of a duelist Harry was.

"Hello Sharon," Harry said sweetly. By now the entire Weasley household had crowded around the door. "Pleasant morning we are having."

"Give it up, Harry," Sharon said with a grin. "You know that this is just payback from a couple of years ago." A snort was heard from behind Harry as Ron remembered that day. "Honey, I know you don't want to sleep on a couch tonight."

Ron instantly shut up, knowing that she was a woman of her word. Harry simply grinned at Ron and point to his forehead and then pointed at Ron. Ron nodded emphatically. Harry turned back to Sharon. Hermione leaned over to Bill and whispered to him.

"Five galleons on Sharon." Bill grinned and shook his head.

"Ten on Harry," Bill whispered back. Hermione nodded and agreed. They turned back to the showdown. Sharon still had not moved a muscle, and was staring down a grinning Harry.

"You know damn well that you deserved this," Sharon said. Harry nodded and grinned even wider. "Then what the hell are you going to do now?" Harry shook his head and crossed his arms. Her body tensed, expecting for Harry to attack at any moment. Ron looked a little torn. Harry had been his best mate through all of their ups and downs, but Sharon was his wife. He wisely kept quiet and watched Harry size her up.

Harry finally nodded as if deciding on a tough decision. He tossed his wand onto the floor and held up his hands in surrender.

"Nice one, Sharon," Harry said with a smile. She relaxed a bit, but that had been just the thing Harry was waiting for. He flicked his fingers and she fell to the ground, a victim of a tickling charm. Sharon was laughing while Harry watched on. He grinned and knelt down to her. Ron leaned over to Hermione and very quietly whispered to her that Sharon was ticklish to the point that he would look at her and she would start giggling.

"Sharon, I love you like a sister, but if you don't undo this prank right now, I'll leave you like this for the rest of the day."

Sharon was shaking with laughter, and she made to do the counter charm. But before she could, Harry quickly snatched her wand from her hand. He eyes grew wider as she saw him grin a bit.

"Well?"

She nodded quickly and he handed her wand back. He picked up his wand and removed the tickling charm. He gave her a few minutes to catch her breath and helped her up. She waved her wand and Harry returned to normal. He looked himself over and nodded his thanks. Bill looked at Hermione and grinned. She held up her index finger, a signal that said 'it's not over yet'.

Harry had just made it past the door frame when he was tossed forward into the wall with a well placed stinging hex to his behind. He got up quickly and whirled around, a savage grin on his face. He bolted for the door and proceeded to crash into an invisible barrier that Sharon had put up. Ron fell over again laughing as he watched Harry slide down the barrier with his face still smashed against it. He had seen a few muggle movies with Sharon, and the way Harry looked reminded him of some of the funnier movies, like when a person did the comical face plant into a patio door and was slowly sliding down with their face making the squeaking noise.

He tested the shield with his wand and smiled. He looked at Sharon and bowed to her. He walked back down the hall, passing Bill and Hermione. Hermione was grinning as Bill counted out the money he owed her, grumbling all the while. Harry raised his eyebrow at Hermione, while she just smiled sweetly at him.

Shortly thereafter, Ron and Sharon departed for their quick vacation, and Harry was under close watch to make sure he didn't try anything. He quickly assured everyone that he would wait until they returned to plot his comeback. Sharon looked a bit unconvinced, but Harry promised that he was honest about that. Those that remained went back inside. Poppy had moved Draco to Hogwarts during the night. They played a pickup game of quidditch, and then Harry and Hermione left to go home and work on some things that needed to be done there.

ooo

Ron and Sharon returned feeling refreshed after a few days off. They discovered that Harry and Hermione had laid the rest of the groundwork for the Riddle Manor assault. Ron went over it with Harry, and only had to tweak a couple of things, to make sure they would get in and out with minimum risk. They prepared the information and passed it onto Kingsley so he could review it and assign the needed number of Aurors for assistance.

They had one thing left to deal with, Draco. The four of them apparated to Hogwarts and approached the gates. Hagrid welcomed them with a smile, and they spent a half hour talking with him. He had to get going, due to classes starting up soon. They made their way to the hospital wing and entered the room. Draco was sitting up and staring out of the window.

"Malfoy," Harry said in a cool greeting. Draco didn't look over at Harry, but he acknowledged Harry's presence.

"Hello, Harry," Draco said. Harry still was confused as to why Draco was still using his first name. "Sorry to have crashed your wedding reception, Weasley."

Ron stood there with a confused expression on his face. He was about to ask when the polyjuice was going to wear off, but then he remembered that Draco had been here three days now. If Draco had changed into anyone, Poppy would have notified them.

"Don't look so surprised Weasley," Draco said, still never taking his eyes off of the window. "Do remember: people can change. You yourself have changed quite a bit in the last few years. Back then you would have walked into the room and insulted me. Instead today, you said nothing. I can tell you all do not like me, but I have given you no reason to trust me yet." Harry looked a bit skeptical.

"Why should we even try to trust you, Malfoy?" Harry asked. Draco finally closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Please, try to use my first name," Draco said. "I have one you know. Anyways, I thought what happened the other day would have proved that I am trying to atone for all that I have done."

"I admit, it is a good start," Harry said. "But from what you pulled all during the time we knew you in school, you have one hell of a long way to go." Draco nodded.

"I know I do," Draco said quietly. "Ron, I have something you need to know." Ron crossed his arms and waited for Draco to continue. "I'm sorry for what I did to her grave. I tried to get out of it, but they tortured me so severely that I wasn't able to walk properly for a week."

Ron clenched his jaw for a second, but he nodded in thanks. Draco finally looked over to them, and Harry was taken back at the look in Draco's eyes. There was true remorse in them.

"Harry, there are things you need to know. I will swear whatever oath you want me to that will convince you that this is the truth of what I know. All I ask for in return, is a safe place to stay or get some protection. My wand was taken by the Death Eaters, so I will have to try to see if I can get another. I'm not sure how that will be possible, since I am branded as a traitor."

"Malfoy, I want you to tell me everything. If it is worthy of my attention, I will make sure you are protected. But I need to know first. Not the details, just the highlights," Harry said. Malfoy nodded, accepting Harry's terms. He took a deep breath and began talking.

"Voldemort was hurt a few weeks ago. It takes a lot out of him to even torture his followers. He was bedridden for at least the first two weeks after he suddenly grabbed his head and screamed in pain. And since you took out Snape, he had no access to any healing potions. Oh by the way, he just died the other day. What did you do to him?" Harry just shrugged and motioned for Draco to continue.

"Since then he has been planning something. He wants to hurt you in the worst possible way. He knew that you had been seeing Granger seriously for a while. I do not have all of the particulars, but he was planning on capturing Granger." Hermione's stare hardened. "Yes, you heard me right. He is planning on using her as bait to draw you out and kill her right in front of you. Also, he is sending a few groups of Death Eaters out to Diagon Alley again and also Hogsmeade. These attacks are to be executed in the next day or so."

"How many troops does he have?" Ron asked.

"While he does not have the numbers he had before, there are around seventy to eighty Death Eaters. The Dementors are with him as well. The giants stayed out of it this time, due to the pasting you all gave them back a few years ago. I will warn you, he has a new right hand man, and he is probably worse than V-Voldemort himself. He likes to use a sword for some reason." Harry smirked at that. "I take it you think you can take care of that?" Harry nodded.

"Oh I think I can," Harry said. Draco looked doubtful.

"Harry, this guy can take on five of us at once, and I was raised knowing how to use a sword. He seems to revel in taking limbs, heads, and whatever else he can cut off," Draco said. Harry just waved it off.

"Trust me Malfoy, I know how to fight," Harry said. Draco shrugged and looked back out the window. "Well, Malfoy, I think you gave us a lot to think on. Now I have one final question for you. What's with the change in you? I mean, back in school you tried to harm or kill me every time you had the chance. Now, you are using my first name and you are spilling everything you know." Draco looked down at his hand.

"Harry, when my father was killed, which I still have to thank Hagrid for by the way, it gave me some freedom I had never known. I only acted the way I did because he instructed me to. If I didn't, I was usually cursed by him during school holidays. There were several times that he would put me in the dungeons and torture me for days on end.

"When he was killed, I was free of that. I laid low and just stayed out of sight. Yes, I had the Dark Mark while I was still in school. My father forced me into taking it. He said if I didn't, he would disown me. I was young at that time, not knowing I had other options I could have chosen.

"My mother and I hid out for a long time. But we were found by this man I mentioned before, and he was gathering everyone together, focused on brining the Dark Lord back to life. He must be a seer or something, because he evidently knew how to bring the Dark Lord back to life and where to find the last horcrux. Yes, I know about the horcruxes. The Dark Lord was panicking towards the end when you guys kept taking them out." Harry held up his hand o stop Draco from speaking for a moment as he had a question for him.

"Who is this new person you keep mentioning?" Harry asked. Draco shook his head.

"I don't know his last name, but the man's first name is Grigor," Draco said. Harry nodded and motioned for Draco to continue.

"When we were found, he took us before the rest of the group and forced me to cooperate." Draco's voice faltered a bit as he stopped taking, his eyes became haunted.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked. "Are you alright?" Draco shrugged and stared out the window again.

"They tortured her and made me cooperate for them to stop hurting her," Draco said. He cringed at the memory and her screams echoing in his memory. "That's when they forced me to get the horcrux from Ginny's grave. My mother was the only thing I had left. After I returned, they resurrected him right in front of us. I know you know how horrible that is, Harry. Now I understand what you went through that night.

"When he saw me, he started cursing me for abandoning the Death Eaters. By the time he stopped to address the rest of the Death Eaters, both of my legs were broken and my skull was fractured. My mother ran to my side to help me. Before she could do anything, he caught her and bound her to the wall. He tortured her some more, and told her this was her punishment for raising such a weak son. Someone from the gathering healed my legs and forced me to stand next to him while he decided what to do."

Draco shuddered as he had tried to block out the memory. He gazed up at the ceiling, tears flowing from his eyes.

"He told me that I should kill her to prove my loyalty. Of course I resisted and never took my wand from his hand. He put me under the _imperious_ curse and instructed me to kill her. I should have paid more attention in class. I was helpless. My mind was screaming not to do it, but I could not control the rest of my body. I watched myself kill my own mother…" Draco trailed off.

Harry sat back in shock. He knew all to well what Draco was talking about. He remembered back to Voldemort's rebirth in the graveyard, the imperious curse that had been cast on him, and many other things. Hermione had tears running down her face. She was at a loss for words. Instead she reached over and laid her hand on Draco's shoulder. She felt him shake with sobs as he remembered his darkest hour. Ron sat there, gazing off out of the window. Sharon had a horrified look on her face.

Harry stood up and walked to the window, deep in thought. Hermione walked over to Harry and put her arms around his waist. He rested his hands on hers as he continued to stare out the window. He was wrestling with a few demons from his past that Draco had brought back with his story. Harry turned and kissed her on the forehead. He walked over to Draco.

"Draco Malfoy," Harry said as he held out his hand. "I hereby take you under the protection of the Order of the Phoenix. I have something for you to sign if you accept my offer." Draco reached up without hesitating and gripped Harry's hand.

"I'll sign whatever bloody thing you want me to, as long as you get that bastard for me," Draco said. Hermione took out the roster and handed Draco a quill. Draco finished signing the parchment and nothing happened to him, which convinced them that he was serious about joining them.

Harry walked to the entrance of the hospital wing, with Ron and Hermione following him.

"Get some rest; you have some knowledge of the interior of the house that we are raiding in the next day or so. We'll need your information to finish our planning," Harry said. He turned to leave, but he stopped and turned back to face Draco. "Oh, one more thing."

"What is it Harry?" Draco asked quietly. Harry looked Draco in the eyes, and said:

"I'm sorry about you mother, Draco. Be thankful for the time you had with her. Treasure it always, because some of us never got that chance." Draco nodded.

"I will, Harry," Draco said. "And thank you, for giving me reason to keep going."

Harry nodded and the four of them left the hospital wing, and Draco laid back down to rest. They stopped at Minerva's office and relayed the entire conversation to her and Albus' portrait. When Harry stood to leave and prepare to setup defenses for Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, he turned to Minerva.

"Get everyone ready. We attack Riddle Manor in two days."


	19. Confrontations and Victories

**A/N:** Here we go!! This is an action packed chapter for those of you itching for a good all out battle. Harry and Co. have their hands full in this chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Confrontations and Victories**

Harry had stayed up late that night to plan out the defenses and to prepare for the assault on Riddle manor. The following morning Hermione found him in the training room. She walked in to find him out of breath, but grinning like a fool.

"Harry? What's the matter?" she said. Harry just grinned even wider and pointed to the other end of the room. She followed his line of sight and gasped. She saw several of the large stones he had put into the room to practice on were completely obliterated.

"I did it Mione, I'm back!" Harry said excitedly. She was happy for him, but she frowned a bit. Harry instantly noticed this. "What's wrong?"

"Before you used the sword, you could do this without batting an eyelid, but now you are pretty much ready to collapse from exhaustion. I think you should take a rest now Harry," she said. Harry nodded and turned to Albus' portrait.

"Albus, I can't thank you enough," Harry said. Albus simply smiled and nodded. 

"It's quite alright, my boy," Albus said, his eyes twinkling more than ever. "Just remember to know your limits. Just because you have your spell power back and even stronger, you will have limits on your energy for a while. You must be selective in your targets, as you cannot take on everything all at once for a while. But I am sure that in time, you will be able to at some point in the future." Harry nodded and bade Albus goodbye so he could get some rest.

Hermione helped Harry get upstairs to the bedroom, where he promptly fell onto the bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. She walked out of the bedroom and quietly closed the door.

"Dobby, could I speak with you for a moment?" she called out. A slight pop announced Dobby's arrival.

"What can Dobby do for you?" Dobby asked.

"Dobby, I want you to help out with the coming battles. Could you act as the communications between the people in Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and the rest of us?" she explained. Dobby's eyes lit up and started to fill with tears.

"Miss wants Dobby to help?" Dobby squeaked. He burst into tears and hugged her knees. "Dobby would be proud to help Harry and his Order!"

"Hurry Dobby, we don't know when they are attacking," she said. "Just remember to get back here to let us know what is happening and if attacks have started." Dobby released her knees and nodded before popping off to check on the first groups.

ooo

Later that evening Harry woke up, feeling fully energized. He took a quick shower and got dressed. He ran downstairs and found Hermione working on their surprise weapon for the Riddle Manor assault.

"Hey Mione, need some help?" he said after he kissed her cheek.

"Actually Harry, this is the last group of them. Ron took the other half and he was working on those," she said. "Everyone is in place and they are ready. We have half of the groups resting while the other half keeps watch. They have been rotating through the four hour shifts we came up with."

"Perfect," said Harry as his gaze went far off. He was running through the plan again in his head while Hermione finished her work. She wiped a bit of sweat off of her forehead.

"I'm glad that's done," she said. She stretched her back and fell onto her side. Harry smiled at her and scooted closer to her. She shifted to lay her head on his leg, and he started to run his fingers through her hair.

"Mione, I want you to be careful out there," Harry said quietly. When she opened her mouth to say she would be fine, he interrupted her. "I know you will be fine, but just remember what Draco said. I'm sure if they know that the battle will be lost, their plan to capture you will be put into effect." Hermione sighed.

"I know Harry," she said. "I'm ready for it. If they do pull it off, just be sure to plan a rescue instead of flying off without support."

"I'll try to be rational, but I can't promise I won't go ballistic," Harry said. "I don't know if I could handle it if you were gone."

Hermione sat up and leaned so her forehead was touching his. She gently kissed him and gazed into his eyes. They sat like that for another hour, just holding each other. Hermione drifted off to sleep, but Harry was wide awake and alert. He sat there, just staring at her. When a few hours had passed, he started to doze off while he held her close.

ooo

They were awaked by Dobby just before six in the morning. Hermione sat up a little too quickly and bumped Harry's head as she shot up.

"Ow…"

"Sorry Harry!" she said. He just smiled and shook his head. He looked over to Dobby, who was wringing his hands.

"Dobby?" Harry said. "What's wrong?"

"Harry Potter sir, your Wheezy said that they need you very soon," Dobby said. "Your Wheezy said that they have seen the enemy gathering."

Harry stood up quickly and packed up their special weapon. He and Hermione quickly proceeded to the armory to get their armor and weapons. Harry checked to make sure his original wand and his new wand were secure in his wrist holsters, and he grabbed the edge of light and another sword. The other sword was one he had made a few months ago.

"Ready?" Harry asked Hermione as she strapped on the short sword Harry had made her a couple of weeks ago. She nodded in the positive and they apparated to Ron's location in the twin's shop in Diagon Alley. Ron updated Harry on the situation, and they got into position.

"The strikes are supposed to be at the same time, so when we start here, Neville is leading the group over in Hogsmeade," Ron said. Harry nodded and smiled. He was glad Neville had joined back up, even after Luna's death. Harry had heard that they had become close after he left. They were waiting for a few more minutes when they heard the first crack signaling someone apparating in. Everyone stayed out of sight and watched with a little amusement as the twelve Death Eaters looked around in fear as the alley was empty. Ron had sent owls to the store owners the day before to make sure that when Ron had set off the notice, that everyone was to vacate the street. Harry made a signal with his fingers and Hermione cast an anti-apparition ward.

Harry strode out of the store and approached the group of Death Eaters. They turned and saw him with the rest of the forty man force that Harry had behind him. They tried to apparate out but the ward slammed them to the ground.

"Looks like you all are trapped," Harry said. "Let's make this simple. You all are boxed in, and we can end this attack with no shots fired. What do you say?" The Death Eaters looked to who seemed to be their leader.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Harry smirked as he dodged the curse.

"I guess not, hmm?" Harry said. He drew his swords and used them to deflect the hexes and curses away from him, directing them up and away from the shops and his team. Everyone one else readied their wands. Harry dropped to the ground and his team fired stunners at the group.

Most of the Death Eaters fell to the stunners, but a couple of them managed to put up shields in time. Harry rolled to his right and slashed his sword in a fast movement that caught the first Death Eater in the knee. The Death Eater dropped with a scream of pain as his knee cap was separated from the rest of his leg. Harry finished the man with a ringing blow from the flat of his blade to the man's head. There was only one Death eater left standing, but he was too busy holding and recasting his shield as fast as he could.

Harry stood up and signaled for everyone to stop for a moment. The barrage of spells stopped and the Death Eater fell to his knees, panting heavily. Harry knelt down, a few feet from the drained man.

"You are the last one standing," Harry said. "You are outnumbered forty to one. This is your last chance. Surrender now or you will most likely not survive if you attack again."

The Death Eater looked up and around at the forty determined faces and sighed. He tossed his wand aside and put his hands on top of his head. Harry nodded and patted the man's shoulder.

"At least we know Tom got someone intelligent," Harry said. He bound the prisoner's hands behind his back. The rest were roughly tied up and they were taken by the Aurors to holding cells at the Ministry. Harry turned and faced his team.

"Well done everyone, but get ready, we have a lot more to do today," he said. Everyone nodded and apparated to Hogsmeade to join the fight there that was already in progress.

When they arrived, they saw that the battle there was not going as easy as Diagon Alley. Several Order members were getting treated in the twin's shop as there were five or so others guarding the entrance. Neville looked up and saw Harry's group pour out of the door and he smiled. His smile faltered and turned to a sneer of hatred when he heard a voice that he thought he had hoped to never hear again.

"Awww, look at the young man that was the widdle baby Longbottom," Bellatrix said. Neville turned and faced her. "Ohh, someone wants to play, hmm? I hope you put up more of a fight than your little girlfriend did." Neville saw red when he heard that.

"Luna…" Bellatrix Lestrange cackled madly and fired a spell at him. He dodged the curse and slowly advanced towards her. His hand tightened around his wand until his knuckles turned white. Harry saw this and joined him.

"Well, well, Bella," Harry said. "We missed you a few years ago. Too bad you weren't there to see Tom wetting himself when he was at my mercy. But believe me; we won't let that happen this time." He swiped his sword and deflected her bone breaking curse upwards.

"Widdle baby Potter wants to join us?" Bellatrix sneered. "I'll see you cowering at my Lord's feet before this is over!"

Harry just grinned as he dodged her killing curse. He feinted to the right, getting Bellatrix to send a curse his way while he spun to his left and avoided her spell. Neville saw his opening and sent a reductor curse at her feet. She screamed as she fell to the ground, seeing her left foot was crushed. She stood back up, but was unable to dodge Neville's bone breaking curse that hit her left arm. She stumbled again, and Harry lashed out with his sword and hit her wand, slicing it clean in two. She screamed in rage and pulled out a second wand. She aimed at Harry.

"_Crucio_!" Harry saw the curse coming and let it hit him. He wanted Bellatrix to see this.

The spell hit Harry and he put up his Occlumency shields and simply smiled at her. Her eyes went wide and she poured more power into her curse. Harry slowed his walk as it became a challenge to keep the curse at bay. Neville walked up behind her and grinned. He drew back his fist and put all of his rage from the years of watching his parents live barely conscious lives after Bellatrix tortured them into insanity, into the solid punch that he sent at her head.

Belltrix saw stars just before she blacked out. She fell to the ground, and a large cut was already starting to bleed heavily from where Neville had connected his punch. Neville shook his hand out, trying to get rid of the tingling that he felt from the impact. He bound Bellatrix a little more tightly than necessary, and slapped a portkey right onto her cheek, transporting her directly to the Ministry holding cells. He watched her disappear, and looked up at Harry.

"That felt great," Neville said. Harry shook his head and smiled.

"Tell you what, Nev. I'll give you a pensieve and my memory so that you can see it over and over again," Harry said. Neville chuckled and thanked Harry. "Well, shall we finish mopping up?"

"Sounds good, Harry."

The battle went on for another twenty minutes before the Order finally got the last Death Eater who had barricaded himself in a cottage. Everyone took a few minutes to catch their breath. Harry stood up and counted the wounded. They would be around five members short of his original plan. But he was pleased to see that no Death eater escaped the two battles, and that would cut Voldemort's forces in half. The Order now outnumbered the Death Eater's forces two to one. He stood in front of the Order and smiled.

"Well done everyone. But unfortunately, we have one more priority for today," Harry said. "The assault of Riddle Manor begins in ten minutes. We need to hit them while they are reeling from these losses. Today we will make sure that the wizarding world remembers that no Dark Lord is safe."

Hermione passed out a strong pepper-up potion to everyone for when they needed it. Harry also made sure everyone had a few strong healing potions with them as well. Ron walked over to Harry, his broom slung over his shoulder. Harry nodded and spoke up.

"I know you all have been wondering what our edge is going to be when assaulting the manor. Ron will explain it now," Harry said.

"Listen up everyone," Ron said. "This part of our strategy will need everyone's help. Before we advance onto the grounds of Riddle Manor, I will be flying with three others people. Two of you will be casting shields over us, and one will be waiting for a powerful banishing charm. I will be flying with this," Ron explained as he held up a parachute pack. "This is filled with spell grenades, all of them charged with a strong reductor curse each. When I release the grenades, the person waiting with the banishing spell will hit them so they scatter. It will look like a muggle bombing when they hit." Harry took the floor again.

"Now when these hit the ground, the rest of us charge and we take out as many as we can. The whole assault will only be for ten minutes after the spell grenades hit. We don't want anyone staying longer than that, due to most likely you would have to face down Voldemort. To draw them out, we will send some long distance spells to get the Death Eaters out of the building. When the grenades drop, the ten minute time limit starts. I will be the last one out; making sure no one is left behind."

Hermione snapped her gaze to Harry, clearly not approving of this. He gestured for her to have patience, and he would explain.

"Now my other function is this; I will be trying to get Voldemort's right hand man out of the picture as well. That is what I will be doing during those ten minutes. After the ten minutes is up, everyone grab their portkeys and high tail it to a safe location. Any questions?" Hermione raised her hand. "Yes?"

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" she asked. She knew he was capable to taking care of himself, but she could not discount the fact that Harry could fall during the battle. Harry shook his head.

"Not at all. If I find I cannot beat him, then I will cut my losses. But this fight will either let me get rid of him, or at least find out how he fights, so I can have the upper hand the next time we meet," Harry explained. That seemed to at least somewhat satisfy her concern, but she still was scared of losing him. "Anything else?"

No one spoke up, and they all rested for another five minutes. Harry stood up and fired a few sparks from his wand. The Order of the Phoenix stood up as one, ready to deal a savage and crippling blow to the enemy.

"Alright everyone, time to shine," Harry said. He apparated to their destination, and everyone locked onto his location via the Order's rings and one by one they disappeared, ready for the battle.

ooo

They all arrived in a clearing just beyond the wards of Riddle Manor, using a tree line for cover. Ron checked the pack before getting onto the broom. Everyone else steeled themselves waiting for the signal to attack.

ooo

Voldemort summoned his closest servant, Grigor Peryanski, to his side. Grigor strode into the throne room with confidence, and knelt before Voldemort.

"Yes my Lord?" Grigor asked. Voldemort looked down at the man, and smiled.

"Have you heard any word from the raiding parties? They are running a bit behind, and I am sure they are enjoying themselves too much," Voldemort said. Grigor shook his head an answered.

"No my Lord, no word has come in yet. I should have warned them to get back as soon as possible, as Potter would have used the time they were away to attack us here," Grigor said.

"Not to worry, Grigor. If Potter was to attack here, he would have had to ignore all of the cries for help coming from our targets. If he has not attacked by now, I'm sure that he is being kept busy," Voldemort said. He was slightly angered by the fact he could not get into Potter's mind anymore, but then he realized that Potter could not do the same. That thought had lifted his spirits. "Let me know the instant that we hear from our raiding parties. I'll bet that they just ignored young Malfoy and did not find the information credible."

"Of course, my Lord," Grigor said. He hoped that Harry would have shown up. He had heard from others that had run into Harry Potter over the last year that he was quite the swordsman. Grigor wanted a challenge, but he was not sure that Potter would present much of one. His head snapped up when the ward alarms started to sound. He stood quickly and Voldemort cursed under his breath.

"Quickly! Potter must be here!" Voldemort yelled. "Keep them busy until the raiding parties arrive back!" He took out his wand and touched it to Girgor's Dark Mark, calling all of the Death Eaters to rally their defense. Little did he know that more than thirty of his Death Eaters would never come that day, as they were trapped in the Ministry's holding cells.

ooo

Harry and a few others that could cast decently powered spells over a distance were sending minor hexes at the wards, hoping to bring out the Death Eaters. He smiled when the doors opened and every one of the Death Eaters poured out of the doors, led by Grigor. Harry did not recognize the leader, but guessed that he was Voldemort's right hand man. Harry shot up a few sparks and Ron took off.

The Death Eaters saw Ron approaching on a broom with three others. The fired some curses and hexes, but the group was covered by a shield.

"Spread out! Don't let them catch you in a group!" Grigor yelled out. All of them spread out and kept firing spells at the group of fliers.

Ron rolled so he was upside down and grabbed the ripcord of the pack.

"Get ready!" he shouted. Angelina Johnson nodded and drew her wand. Ron pulled the ripcord and thirty silver spell grenades dropped out of his pack. "NOW!"

Angelina flicked her wand and the grenades rocketed apart and towards the ground at high speed, heading right for the Death Eaters. The four of them pulled up and flew back to the main group as fast as they could. Grigor looked up and saw what was coming. He swore in Russian and yelled to the group.

"Shields!!" Many of the Death eaters were lucky enough to conjure shields strong enough, but quite a few were not so lucky.

Voldemort rushed around his personal chamber to collect his needed items when the ground rippled violently and all of the windows in Riddle Manor were blown in. Sections of the walls collapsed, and showered him with rubble. He activated his portkey, leaving all of his servants behind.

ooo

The Order cheered as they saw the bombing plan work flawlessly, and several Death eaters perished in the initial volley. Harry and everyone charged when they were close enough.

"TEN MINUTES!!" Harry shouted. He dove to the ground to avoid a killing curse and rolled into a standing position and let a dagger fly when he landed on his feet. The Death Eater that had cast it stood still for a moment, shocked that a long and sharp dagger was lodged in his throat. He gurgled for a second before falling to the ground dead.

The Order attacked with a ferocity that had never been seen, quickly driving the Death Eaters back. Hermione stayed very close to Ron, making sure that no Death eater got close enough to take her. She fired off her spells with surprising force, often breaking through shields and sending the Death Eaters flying.

Harry stood for a moment, before locking eyes with Grigor. Grigor nodded at Harry with respect and saluted Harry with his blade. Harry did the same. Harry had learned that no matter what the sword battle is for, it was always an honorable fight. A few Death Eaters ran as fast as they could, before apparating away at the edge of the wards. The battle continued around them and the two faced off.

"Greeting, Harry Potter," Grigor said with a slight bow. "I have been looking forward to meeting you. I have heard stories of your battles. My name is Grigor."

"Well, no offense Grigor, but I have never heard of you," Harry said. Grigor just smiled and nodded.

"It is to be expected," Grigor said. "Since we have dispensed with the formalities, shall we?" He raised his sword and Harry did as well.

Harry and Grigor circled each other and did a few experimental swipes at each other. The attacks were parried with ease on both ends. Hermione watched from a distance, hoping Harry knew what he was doing.

Grigor smiled and lunged at Harry. Harry countered and the locked swords with a loud clang. They pushed back and forth, until Harry managed to separate the swords with a clever push. Grigor nodded and attacked with all of his skill. Harry was put on the defensive, but he was holding on against a larger and more experienced sword fighter.

Harry dodged a vicious strike aimed at his chest and managed to land a solid slice against Grigor's back. Grigor hissed in pain and whirled around putting Harry on a desperate defense. Harry managed to block most of the strikes and dodged the rest until he slipped for a fraction of an inch. Grigor seized the opportunity and drove his sword through Harry's left shoulder. Harry screamed in pain and collapsed. Grigor backed up a step, breathing heavily, as it hurt to breathe while his back was sliced open.

"Well done, young Potter," Grigor gasped. "Few have matched me for as long as you have. Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to walk away from this battle, as my life's mission has been devoted to protecting my Lord." His eyes hardened a bit at the thought of losing such a fine swordsman from the world. He raised his sword for an ending blow.

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed. Grigor's eyes flicked to Hermione, while Harry's never left Grigor. With a lightning quick flick of his wrist, he sunk his sword hit deep into Grigor's chest.

Harry stood and watched Grigor stumble for a moment and grabbed the grip of his sword which was still in Grigor's chest. He looked into Grigor's shocked eyes and twisted the sword. Grigor struggled for breath, and Harry pulled the sword out in a swift move.

"You were a worthy opponent, Grigor. May you die with honor," Harry said solemnly. He saluted Grigor with his sword once more, and then he whirled around and sliced with his sword. Grigor's head was severed cleanly, and Harry quickly drew his wand to clean up the mess. He wrapped Grigor's body for transport and knelt down and said a short warrior's prayer to wish him Godspeed to his final resting place. He stood up after he sent Grigor's body to headquarters, and checked his watch.

"Our ten minutes is up. Time to go," Harry said. Hermione took off her hoodie and wrapped Harry's shoulder while everyone else left. He glanced around and made sure everyone had left. "Hermione, let's go home."

Hermione took his hand and they portkeyed to their home. Harry was immediately set on by Hermione who worked on his shoulder. She was able to stop the bleeding, but she could not do anything about his shattered shoulder blade. She floo called Madam Pomfrey, and explained his injury. Poppy said it was best to bring him there. Hermione used a charm to immobilize Harry's shoulder and they left for Hogwarts.

When they arrived, Hermione contacted Ron and asked for a status report. Several members had been moderately injured, but no one had died. Hermione promised to keep Ron updated on Harry's condition until they had the chance to get to Hogwarts. When Poppy said she had done all she could, Hermione sat down next to him while he slept.

ooo

Ron and Sharon arrived at Hogwarts early the next morning. The entered the hospital wing and Sharon sighed at the sight before hem. Hermione had somehow crawled into the bed next to Harry without disturbing him, and his arm was wrapped around her protectively. They were both sleeping with smiles on their faces.

Ron grinned and sat down on the other side of the bed. Sharon curled up on his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. They sat there watching them and quietly waited for them to wake.

Hermione woke first and looked over at Harry. He tightened his grip around her and continued to sleep. She looked over at Ron with a look that said 'He needs to let go of me for a moment'. She pointed to the restroom and rolled her eyes. Ron laughed silently and shook his head. Harry stirred from Hermione's gentle shaking.

"Whazzat?" he mumbled groggily. Ron burst out in laughter, getting a glare from both of the women in the room.

"Harry," Hermione said. "Love, you need to let me up." Harry just mumbled and started to fall back asleep. Hermione huffed and tried a different tactic. "Honey, do you want me to just use the loo right here?"

Harry's arm shot out to the side and his eyes jerked open. At this point Ron fell out of his chair laughing. Sharon grumbled about Ron making her fall off his lap and hitting the floor. Hermione kissed Harry's forehead practically ran to the restroom.

Harry rubbed the sleep from his eyes and he looked over and down at Ron. Ron had since stopped laughing at the glare he was getting from his wife.

"Ron, you are so whipped," Harry chuckled. Ron started to retort when Sharon spoke up.

"Harry, you don't know the half of it," she said. Harry started to laugh, but quickly stopped and hissed in pain as he cradled his shoulder. Sharon quickly poured a bit of pain relieving potion and handed to Harry, and he drank it straight down.

"Thanks, sis," Harry said. Sharon's eyes moistened for a moment and she reached down and brushed his hair back. Ron grinned and walked around to Harry's right side and gently clapped him on his shoulder.

Ron updated Harry on the fallout of the battle. The _Daily Prophet_ had heard of the battles and heralded it as the most wonderful thing that had ever happened. Ron told Harry that the Ministry was calling for more awards, but Harry said they should hold onto them until Voldemort was confirmed to be dead or neutralized for good. Ron promised to pass on the message as soon as he could. They enjoyed a delicious breakfast that had been cooked by Dobby and Winky and all was well for a while.

ooo

While the four heroes were taking a well deserved rest, Voldemort was far from pleased. His frustration and anger was evident judging by the look of his room in the safe house. The windows had been obliterated, debris from destroyed furniture littered the floor, and the door had been knocked off its hinges.

"POTTER!!" Voldemort bellowed. "THIS IS NOT OVER! NOT BY A LONGSHOT!" Voldemort repaired his chair in the room and sat down to finalize his plan for Harry's dear Hermione. His cruel looking face split into a feral grin as he thought of what he would do to her.


	20. The Eye of the Storm

**A/N:** Sorry for the HUGE delay. Too many things happened in the last few weeks. Thanks to all who have reviewed. And to all who have not reviewed – Thanks for reading. Like I said in the introduction: I am not going to beg for reviews nor will I stop updating until I get so many reviews.

With that said: ENJOY! Nice long chapter here…

**Chapter Nineteen**

**The Eye of the Storm**

_Death Eater Attacks Thwarted!_

_Early yesterday morning several Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade in simultaneous attacks. But the attack in Diagon Alley was stopped mere moments after the Death Eaters had arrived. Harry Potter was waiting for them and with the help of his friends Ron Weasley and others, the attackers were quickly neutralized. This is the second time Ron Weasley has made headlines in the recent weeks with his victorious battles._

_According to eyewitnesses, Harry Potter gave the Death eaters a chance to surrender without a fight. Unfortunately, the conflict was not able to be peacefully resolved. After a thirty second skirmish, the attackers were subdued and captured. They have been released to Ministry forces and will stand trail soon for their actions._

_Harry Potter next moved to Hogsmeade where the battle was already underway. After reinforcing his forces there, Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom engaged in a battle with the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange. After a fierce battle, Mr. Longbottm managed to subdue Lestrange with a bit of muggle hand to hand combat. She has been captured and is being held under twenty four hour guard at an undisclosed location. This capture is a great achievement for Harry Potter's forces._

_Rumor has it, that after the battle was won in Hogsmeade, Mr. Potter's forces conducted a raid on a Death Eater stronghold. No updates have reached us here at the Prophet, but once they do, we will inform our readers as soon as we can._

_For More Details, see page 14._

The few Death Eaters that had made it back to the safe house to guard their master cringed at the howl of rage coming from Voldemort's room. They eyed each other warily, and quietly slipped outside. None of them wanted to cross their master's path at this time, as the one who did would most likely be tortured for hours. Sounds of breaking glass and wood made them jump as Voldemort continued his fit of rage. They all shuddered in fear at what could happen next.

ooo

Harry had recovered quickly of the next week. The combinations of potions that Poppy had given him had healed his injuries rather quickly. He was in his training room working up a sweat with a sparring dummy. Hermione had walked in halfway through his session to watch him. When he finished, he set his training sword back into the rack and turned to face Hermione.

"Morning love," Harry said.

"Morning, Harry. Get a good workout?" she said. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, but my left shoulder is still a bit stiff. It might be a week or two before it is ready. Unfortunately, we don't know where Tom went to, so we have to see if we can catch him making a mistake," he explained.

"Well find him Harry," Hermione said as she rubbed his shoulders. "He's bound to show up sooner or later. Oh, Ron wanted to get together with us for dinner tonight." Harry grinned.

"Sounds good. I'll call him back and let him know when I finish," Harry said. Harry went back to his training and Hermione started sparring with a basic training dummy to work on her basic skills.

They trained for another hour, and then they opted for a soak in Harry's hot tub to ease their sore muscles. Harry was required to use it by order of Madame Pomfrey. She told him it was necessary for him to soak his shoulder if the muscles were to heal properly. They sat and talked while soaking in the hot water. After they got out of the hot tub, Harry went to the fireplace to contact Ron.

"Ron? You there mate?" Harry called into the green flames. When he got no response, his brow furrowed a bit. "Ron!" Hermione walked over and her eyebrow rose in question. "He's not answering."

Hermione tapped her Order ring and called for Ron. When she got no answer, her eyes grew concerned and Harry tried again.

"RON!!" he shouted into the fire. Again he got no reply. He drew his wand and looked over to Hermione. She drew her own wand and they flooed over to Ron's house, ready for battle.

ooo

Voldermort had calmed down a bit, and summoned in one of his remaining Death eaters. The man entered the room nervously and dropped to the floor as soon as he crossed the threshold, kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes.

"What can I do for you, My Lord?" the man asked. Voldemort motioned for him to stand.

"How many men do we have left?" Voldemort asked.

"Seven, My Lord. The rest have been captured or killed," the man said with fear in his voice. "Our sources for recruitment have dried up. No others wish to face Potter and his people." The man suddenly dropped to the floor as he was hit with the cruciatus curse. He screamed in pain as he writhed on the floor. Voldemort released him a minute later and spoke.

"I do not care if no one wishes to face Potter or not. Torture whomever you need to. Kill members of their families until they join us. If you fail to bring anyone with you, you will die. Is that understood?" he hissed. The man nodded emphatically and bowed again, still trembling. "Very well. You have twenty four hours, I suggest you get moving."

The man bowed again and scrambled out of the room as fast as he could. One of the remaining men was summoned into the room.

"Smythe, how long is it until we can carry out our plan against the mudblood?" Voldemort asked.

"We could carry it out today, My Lord. The arrangements have been made, and our players are waiting," Smythe said as he bowed. Voldemort smiled and nodded.

"Ahhh, very good," Voldermort hissed in pleasure. "When it is done, make sure she is untouched by anyone. I want her at her top form when I destroy her."

"Understood, My Lord. I will personally see to her well being before she is brought to you. When shall I have it be done?" he asked.

"Tomorrow. I want them to think they are safe, that way they do not suspect a thing, and we should have more men by the time Potter comes to rescue her," Voldemort said. Smythe nodded and bowed once more. When he was out of the room, Voldemort trembled in anticipation.

ooo

Harry and Hermione tumbled out of the fireplace into a crouched fighting stance. They stood with their back to each other and scanned the room. There was nothing out of place at first glance, but that did not mean much. Hermione checked the kitchen and saw that it was empty. She noticed that there were cups of tea on the table that were still a little warm.

Harry checked the back storage room and found nothing. They met back up in the living room and Harry tried calling for Ron once more.

"RON!!" he shouted. Harry spun around a moment later when he heard a door opening up.

"Bloody hell! Harry! Hold your fire!" Ron shouted when he saw Harry getting ready to attack. Harry stood there, still ready for an attack.

He looked at Ron and saw that he was covered up with a sheet. Harry's jaw fell open and his face burned red with embarrassment. Hermione giggled and looked over at Harry.

"Er, sorry mate. I didn't…" Harry stammered. He quickly averted his eyes when Sharon walked out from behind Ron, barely covered with a comforter.

"Harry? Can I help you?" she asked sweetly. Harry shook his head, not trusting his mouth to say something intelligent. Ron's face was burning and Sharon was trying to hold back her laughter. Hermione spoke up.

"Sorry about that," she said. "When Ron didn't answer, well we kind of assumed that something was wrong."

Harry was still looking at the ceiling, making sure he did not look over at Sharon. His heart was pounding and he felt so embarrassed at intruding on their privacy. He turned around so his back was to Ron and Sharon.

"Sorry guys," Harry said. "I'll just be, er, going now…" He quickly threw some floo powder into the fire and vanished back to his house. Hermione rolled her eyes and apologized again and followed Harry.

Harry stepped out of the fireplace and cursed himself. He couldn't believe he had walked in on them like that. Hermione followed a moment later and looked over at Harry.

"Harry, don't worry. They were fine," she said. Harry shook his head.

"I feel so embarrassed right now. How could I walk in on them?" Harry said. Hermione walked over and put her arms around him.

"Love, they are not mad at you. Ron was laughing about it when I left," she said. "I think he mentioned that he wished he had a camera ready so he could capture the look on your face."

Harry finally laughed a little. He shook his head again and sighed. Hermione just sat there and held onto him and ran her fingers through his hair to calm him down a bit more. Harry jumped a bit when Ron's head appeared in the fire.

"Harry! Mate, I wish you could have seen your face! Priceless!" Ron chortled. Harry gave Ron a bit of a glare, but Ron waved it off. "No harm done, Harry. When do you guys want to meet for dinner? How about seven?"

Harry nodded and they made the rest of their plans. They were going to meet at Ron's house at seven in the evening, and they would head out from there. Harry insisted on calling Ron before they flooed over, just to make sure. Ron ribbed Harry pretty god about it when they arrived.

"Mate, I told you. Don't worry about it," Ron said. Harry shook his head. He would never let himself live this down.

They left Ron's house in London and walked down the street talking about general things. They discussed possible locations to check for Voldemort while being very clever in masking the discussion around the surrounding muggles. They arrived at a restaurant that catered to wizards and muggles that knew about the wizarding world. Harry was happy that Ron had gone to that restaurant, as they would be able to talk about anything without worrying about inadvertently exposing the wizarding world.

They had a pleasant dinner, taking a few shots at Harry for the incident earlier in the day. Harry grumbled about being picked on, but he took it in stride. The conversation turned a bit embarrassing as Hermione and Harry told Sharon of some of the things that Ron had run into before they met. Ron groaned when they touched on the story of when Ron got hit with his own spell that caused him to belch up slugs for several hours. Sharon almost fell out of her chair laughing when she heard that Harry actually had the picture that Colin Creevey had taken before he was stopped by the rest of the Gryffindor team that helped get Ron to Hagrid's hut.

"How in Merlin's name did you get that picture?" Ron demanded. Harry just grinned.

"Easy mate, I just told Colin to give me the picture so that way it did not get out in circulation. Imagine what Malfoy would have done if he had that picture?" Harry said. Ron shuddered at the thought.

"Regarless of that, Harry, I will need to see the picture. You know, just to verify the authenticity of the story," Sharon said with a wry grin. Ron's head dropped to the table as he groaned again.

"Of course, sis. I'll bring it next time I see you," Harry said with a smile. Hermione giggled at Ron's predicament.

"Just you wait Harry. I'll get even," Ron said miserably. The conversation moved onto other things. Harry and Hermione asked about how it was down at the Auror's office.

"Things are great down there right now. The success of the battle last week has everyone in high spirits. The paperwork is murder, though," Ron said. Sharon nodded in agreement.

"I think I filed seven reports in four hours yesterday, and I still have another twenty to go. The events of last week sure did make an impact on everyone and tips are coming in so fast about suspicious activity that we can barely keep up," Sharon explained.

"Good. The more reports that come in, the less chance any of Tom's stooges can make trouble without getting tagged," Harry said.

"Too right, mate," Ron agreed.

They finished up dinner and the group started to leave. A young boy stopped and stared when the group passed by. Harry noticed and saw the young boy was holding a quaffle. He leaned over and whispered in Ron's ear. Ron grinned and they approached the boy and his parents.

"Merlin's beard! It is you!" the father said. Harry and Ron grinned and shook the man's hand. Harry knelt down and looked at the young boy.

"Hello there. How are you tonight?" Harry asked. The boy smiled nervously.

"I'm great, Mr. Harry Potter, sir," the boy said.

"I have a question for you," Harry said. The boy looked at him quizzically. "How would you like Ron and I sign your quaffle?" The boy's eyes widened and looked over at Ron who waved and smiled.

"Is he really _the_ Ron Weasley?" the boy asked in awe. Harry nodded.

"Yes it is," Harry said with a smile. The boy nodded excitedly. Harry pulled out a pen and signed the quaffle and handed it over to Ron.

"What's your name kiddo?" Ron asked.

"Evan, Mr. Weasley, sir," he answered. Ron chuckled.

"Call me Ron. When you say Mr. Weasley sir, I look to see if my dad is around," he said. He signed the quaffle and posed with Harry and Evan for a picture that Evan's mother took. "So are you starting Hogwarts soon?"

"Yes sir, er, Ron. I start in a few days," Evan said. Ron nodded and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Good luck to you!" Ron said.

"Thank you!" Evan yelled as he walked away with his parents. Hermione and Sharon started swooning and acting like giggling girls pretending to worship Ron and Harry. Harry gave them a good natured glare and they laughed about the girls teasing Ron and Harry. The parted ways and went to their respective homes.

ooo

The Death Eater who had been sent out for more recruits was having a bad day. He had been shut out of all of the places he had gone to, and to top it off, the Aurors were pursuing him now. The last place he had been to, the people had immediately called for the Aurors. Joseph Lovegood was beginning to think being captured and held at the Ministry was more favorable to being the target of Voldemort's wrath.

He ducked into an alley and considered his options. He could hear the Aurors coming close to his hiding spot. He was not willing to kill family members to force a recruit to join the Death Eaters. He himself had been forced in the same way. He still missed his niece, but he had to shove her memory into the back of his mind to stay alive. The loss came back in full force as he was sitting there in the alley.

All of his suppressed emotions came to the surface and he wept for her. How he missed Luna. They had sent a squad over to her home and murdered her so he would join. The Death Eaters had needed a potions master since Snape had been mortally injured by Harry. He had refused at first, wanting not to get into the middle of a maniac's crusade. But they had given him a message that he could not ignore. He had heard that the four member party sent to kill her had been cut down to one with her efforts.

The Aurors heard a man sobbing in the alley that they had come to. They turned the corner and saw the broken man leaning his forehead against the wall as he cried. Joseph looked up with pain filled eyes that spoke volumes. They wavered at the sight of the Death Eater sitting there.

Joseph motioned to the Aurors that he was surrendering. He very carefully drew his wand and tossed it to their feet and laid face down on the sidewalk.

"Please, just protect me from that madman," he said. "Could you also send out a couple of Aurors to Harold Lovegood's house? The others will kill him now that I have been captured."

"We will sir," one of the Aurors said. "Thanks for the heads up on that."

Joseph nodded and went with the Aurors quietly. At least he would be protected from Voldemort's wrath.

ooo

Harry had joined Ron at the Ministry while Hermione went to her job. Harry was talking to the group of Aurors that had joined his forces when Joseph was brought in. Joseph stopped and said something to the Aurors who were escorting him in. One of them stayed with him while the other walked up to Harry.

"Sir, our newest Death Eater we captured wishes to speak with you. He said he has time sensitive intelligence for you," the Auror said. Harry nodded and the others dispersed. Harry followed the Auror over to Joseph. Harry gave Joseph a slight glare, but it seemed to not bother Joseph.

"Start talking," Harry said forcefully. Joseph nodded and began talking.

"Mr. Potter. I apologize for interrupting your day, but I must let you know that he is activating his plan for Ms. Granger sometime today," Joseph said. Harry's eyes widened and he started to turn to rush off to Hermione, but Joseph stopped him. "Sir, I know this is urgent, but I would also like to help in any way I can. I can give you the layout of Voldemort's safehouse, and tell you who the secret keeper is." Harry stopped in his tracks and spun around. Their big break had finally come. Joseph nodded that he was serious.

"One more thing sir," Joseph said. Harry raised his eyebrow in question. "Please avenge my niece for me." Harry nodded as Joseph was led to an interrogation room.

When the Aurors came back out of the room, Harry stopped one of them.

"What's his name?" Harry asked. The Auror looked over at Harry.

"Joseph Lovegood," he said.

Harry gasped and ran to the interrogation room. He threw open the door and glared at the man. Joseph looked up and Harry recoiled at the sadness in the man's eyes.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, Luna was my niece," Joseph said. He hissed and grabbed his left forearm. "I will explain more after they have setup the veritaserum. But your time is running short; you must get to Ms. Granger now!!"

Harry nodded and ran from the room.

ooo

"Send the signal. Our plans for the mudblood are ready," Voldemort said. The Death eater nodded and put the tip of his wand to his Dark Mark.

ooo

Harry raced to the lifts to get down to the Department of Mysteries. He found that all of the lifts were already going down, so he opted for the stairs. He knocked down a few people on the way to the stairs, calling out apologies as he bolted to the door. He threw open the door and leapt down entire flights of stairs. He only prayed he would reach her in time.

ooo

Hermione looked up from her paperwork when there was a knock at her door. She stood up and covered her papers to ensure that no one would see what she was working on. She opened the door and saw a one of the runners in the ministry holding a vase of flowers. She was a bit unnerved at the sight, because the runner had a glazed look in his eyes.

"I have a delivery for Ms. Hermione Granger," the young man said flatly. The tone of his voice alerted her to danger. She slowly and discreetly drew her wand.

"Just set it on my desk please," she said. The man nodded and left the room after the vase was set down. She sat far away from the vase and stared at it, not willing to touch it. She knew it was probably a portkey set up by Voldemort to take her. She tapped her order ring alerting Harry.

ooo

Harry leapt down the last flight of stairs and hollered for everyone to clear his path. He crashed through the door to the Department of Mysteries only to have a couple of stunners fly past his head. He ducked and rolled to a stop and fired off a quick series of disarming hexes, pleased to see several wands land at his feet.

"I need to get to Hermione's office!" he shouted. Gavin stepped up and looked at Harry.

"Give me back my wand and I will escort you to her office," Gavin said.

He had been told by Hermione that Voldemort was after her, and he was not taking any chances in case this was not really Harry. Harry tossed him his wand and they ran down the hallway and threw open Hermione's office door. She jumped up and fired a stunner which hit the door as Harry suddenly pulled back. She was in a fighting stance as Harry called out his password.

"Ginny's blessing," he called out. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her wand and Harry burst through the door. He spied the vase on her desk and looked over at her.

"The bloke who dropped it off was acting like he was under the imperious curse, so naturally I have not touched it," she said. Harry walked over and waved his wand over the vase and it did not do anything.

"Strange, it's not a portkey," he said. He waved his wand over the little envelope and found it that it was not a portkey either. He carefully removed the envelope and turned to Hermione. "The envelope says it's from me, but you know as well as I do—"

"That you always hand me flowers instead of sending them," she said. "Yes, that is why I have not touched anything dealing with the flowers."

Gavin sighed in relief and hugged Hermione, thankful that Harry had taught her so much about watching out for danger. He stepped back and let Harry pull Hermione into a tight embrace. He smiled and quietly let himself out of the office. Harry released her and kissed her forehead. He sat down beside her and sighed. He had come so close to losing her that he was very shaken up. Hermione's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Harry?" she said. "What's in the envelope?" Harry carefully opened the envelope and peered at the card inside. His face went white as he read it to himself. He quickly stood up and used his wand to blast apart the vase, dropping the envelope in the process. Hermione reached to pick it up, but Harry set it ablaze it before she could reach it. Harry reached out for her and was about to lead her back to the Auror's office when a voice sounded in her office.

"VENGEANCE IS MINE POTTER!"

To Harry's horror, Hermione looked shocked for a moment before she disappeared. Harry stood there in shock, staring at the spot Hermione had been just a moment ago. He started to tremble with rage.

ooo

Gavin had just made it to his office when an inhuman howl of rage chilled him to his core. He jumped up and ran for Hermione's office and saw Harry glowing with power. The waves of magical power that were rolling off of Harry forced him back a few steps. Harry stared at the card lying in a pile of ashes and let loose another howl of rage and disapparated to parts unknown.

Gavin ran back to his office and hit the alarm button alerting the Aurors. He then sat down and started copying down what he saw for his statement while he waited for the Aurors to come down. He finished his statement and gave it to the Auror who had shown up to respond to the alarm. The Auror was about to rush off when another alarm sounded in Gavin's office. He rushed over to the device and saw that there had been a massive release of magical energy in the Forbidden Forest. The readings he saw were too large to be any type of discharge made by a witch or wizard. He was about to gather a team of unspeakables to investigate the incident, when there was the sound of apparition in the hallway outside of his office.

The Auror placed himself in front of Gavin and opened the door. Harry was standing in the hall with his clothes smoking. Gavin looked over to the device again and it had a display that had the magical signature of whatever had caused the release of energy. To Gavin's astonishment, it matched Harry's magical signature exactly.

"Impossible!" Gavin exclaimed. Harry shook his head.

"Oh I assure you, Mr. Frost. It is quite possible. I tend to break any laws of nature, I guess. I just didn't want to destroy the Ministry with my magic," Harry said firmly. Harry looked over at the Auror and nodded. "Let's get back upstairs. We have a rescue to plan."

The young Auror nodded and followed Harry. They left the Department of Mysteries as Gavin sank into his chair. He looked over to the sensor again, still shaking his head. 'How can one person release so much energy and still be in one piece, let alone walking around like it never happened?' he thought to himself. 'I will need to talk with him after all this business is done.'


	21. A Hurricane Named Harry

**A/N**: Here we go! The end of this story is close! Thanks to all those who have read my story! Thanks to all the reviewers!

I should announce this now, since I have told a few about it. There will be a sequel to this story. I have the planning stages done, and as soon as I get this story done, I will be working on the sequel.

So, with that said, ENJOY!

**Chapter Twenty**

**A Hurricane Named Harry**

Hermione hit the floor with her wand drawn and her eyes alert. She noticed that she was surrounded by six Death Eaters. She knew she could take on two, maybe three, but that was pushing the envelope. She turned her head when a Death eater cleared his throat.

"Kindly lower your wand, and I will see to it that none of us here will harm you," Smythe said. Hermione scoffed at him.

"Do you honestly think I will lower my defenses just because you sounded polite? You all are really thick, you know that?" she retorted. Smythe just chuckled.

"Of course not Ms. Granger. We do know better than that. But I do have my orders, and that is to make sure you are unharmed when I bring you before our master," he said. "I have personally guaranteed him that no harm will come to you from when you arrived until I take you to him."

"Ah, but what then? As soon as I walk into the room where he is in, you all will attack, correct?" Hermione countered. Smythe shook his head.

"Perhaps you misunderstood me, but My Lord is the only one who allowed to do anything harmful to you from the moment you arrived," he said. Hermione's pulse sped up in fear. She knew that she had no chance against Voldemort. She hoped Harry was on his way soon.

ooo

Harry burst through the doors of the Auror offices and made a beeline for Ron. After Harry whispered in his ear, Ron turned pale and called for everyone's attention. All of the available Aurors were called in and everyone got seated. Harry stood up and addressed the group before him.

"Approximately ten minutes ago, Hermione Granger was kidnapped by Death Eaters," Harry started. Several people gasped. Sharon looked stricken and a few tears fell. "There was a delivery made by a ministry employee who was under the imperious curse. He is not to be blamed. Please get your selves ready for a breach. Meanwhile I will be interrogating certain prisoners to get our target. That is all for now."

The group broke up after Harry stepped down from the briefing podium. He strode over to the interrogation room that held Joseph. Joseph looked up and shivered at the sight. Harry's eyes were still glowing with power. Harry strode into the room and held out a vial of clear liquid. Joseph took it and placed three drops on his tongue. After a few moments, his eyes glazed over and he started to draw on a large piece of parchment. Harry stood by and watched Joseph draw the entire floor plan of the cottage Voldemort was using. Joseph finished drawing the floor plan and sat down.

"Now we start with the questions," Harry said as he sat down. "What is your full name?" Joseph replied in a monotone voice.

"Joseph William Lovegood." Harry continued.

"Do you know who I am?"

"You are Lord Harold James Potter-Black, sworn enemy of Tom Riddle." Harry nodded and got to the real questioning.

"How many Death eaters are left excluding Voldemort?"

"Six not including myself," Joseph replied.

"Who is the secret keeper for the safe house?" Harry asked.

"Bellatrix Lestrange. Voldemort was very upset to hear she has been captured," he replied. Harry wrote a quick note and handed it to one of the two Aurors that were in the room with him. That Auror ran out of the room quickly and passed the note to Kingsley.

"How well is the safe house defended?" Harry asked.

"Not very well, but it does have some traps along the way," Joseph replied.

"Will you include those on your floor plan you drew up for us?" Joseph nodded and quickly drew in the locations of the traps and what they were. Once those were completed, he passed it out the door to Ron. Ron immediately spread it out for some tactical planning.

"Just a few more questions. Have you ever murdered anyone personally?" Harry asked, trying to see if the man would be facing Azkaban.

"No."

"Have you ever let someone die because of your actions of inactions?"

"Yes," Joseph replied as a tear ran down his face.

"Who was killed?" Harry asked.

"My beloved niece, Luna Lovegood. She was murdered because I resisted joining the Death Eaters at first."

Harry sat back and cursed Voldemort under his breath. That was just like him. Kill whomever you wish, as long as you get what you want.

"Bastard," Harry said quietly.

"I agree," Joseph said. Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Why did you turn yourself in?" Harry asked as his final question.

"I refuse to murder someone just to see another throw their life away being bound to a madman to keep the others alive. I was sent out yesterday to recruit more Death Eaters or he would kill me. I figure it is better to be locked up in here, than be hunted by Voldemort," Joseph said.

Harry stood up and had the Auror bring him to the best holding cell and to get the man cleaned up. He walked back out of the interrogation room and found that the planning was well underway. He ducked out of the headquarters for a few moments to go and get his weapons and supplies from home.

ooo

Hermione was brought out of her room and she was forced down the hall. She took a calming breath, but it did nothing to sooth her nerves. She knew that they were escorting her to Voldemort's room. They turned left at the end of the hall and entered a partially destroyed room. Hermione looked around in surprise at the destroyed furniture in the room. '_So, he must be a bit upset at the latest report in the Daily Prophet_,' she thought to herself. She quickly came up with an idea that would get Voldemort upset, but hopefully would not get her killed in the process.

"Ah, the mudblood," a cold voice hissed. Hermione's blood froze in her veins as she slowly turned to see Voldemort standing a few feet from her. Voldemort eyed her with apprehension and grinned. "Welcome, I trust you have been well taken care of?" he asked with false sincerity. Hermione stayed silent, not giving him the pleasure of goading her.

"Defiant until the end, hmm?" Voldemort said. His temper flared when she did not answer again. He noticed that she was staring out at a point just above him, ignoring him completely. "YOU WILL ANSWER ME!" Hermione's plan was working. She blinked like she was just waking up and answered.

"I'm sorry, were you speaking?" She asked sweetly. She made sure to not look into his eyes, as he would tear her mind apart with a glance. He roared in rage and threw the chair he was near across the room.

"You will listen to me, you filthy mudblood. I am Lord Voldemort, no one ignores me!" he seethed. Hermione just looked at her nails and picked at an imaginary hangnail.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening. Could you please repeat that?" Hermione said.

"Silly little girl, games will not help you now. Remember, it was I who outsmarted your precious Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed angrily. Hermione decided to push him a bit more.

"Yes, I am surprised at that. Who knew a hypocritical half-blood supremacist such as yourself had the stones to pull that off?" she said. Voldemort rushed up to her so close that she could feel his breath on her face.

"NO ONE DARES TO MOCK ME!" he roared. Hermione drove the last nail in.

She brought her knee up as hard as she could and swung her head forward. Her forehead caught him in the nose and she was satisfied to hear a slight crunch from his nose. While he was still reeling from the first two blows, she took a page out of Harry's book and spun around sending her fist into the side of his head. The force of the blow made her hand ache, but she was amazed that Voldemort fell to the floor one hand holding his crotch, and the other trying to stem the flow of blood from his nose.

The other man in the room grabbed her from behind and she threw her head back, hitting him in the teeth. He grunted, but he did not let go. He wrapped a very strong arm around her body and threw an elbow into the side of her head. Dazed from the hit, Hermione's head drooped and her consciousness faded as she heard Voldemort ordering the Death Eater to bring her back to the room.

ooo

Harry stumbled as a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. He didn't understand what caused it, but he would find out later. At that moment, he had bigger fish to fry. He was currently walking down a hall deep inside the Ministry to the room that held Bellatrix. Neville was close behind him, being summoned by Harry to help with the interrogation. If it came down to it, they might need to resort to physical coercion to get the answers they needed. Harry didn't have the heart to have Neville miss out on this.

Harry entered the room and saw Bellatrix staring stonily at the wall. The capture had not been easy, and they had not healed the wound Neville had made on her head. She had been cleaned up however, but the cut was still red and fresh. She sneered at Harry and Neville, but said nothing. Harry on the other hand spoke up.

"Nice to see you Bella, I imagine my godfather would send his regards," he said. Her eyes flashed with anger at the comment, but she still was silent. "Ahh, the silent treatment. Well, we will deal with that soon enough."

Harry made a show of pulling out several items from his bag like hydrogen peroxide, gloves, a small club, and more items. He had no real intention to physically torture her, but the threat and the items made it real in her mind. Her eyes flicked over the things Harry had set on the table, and then her eyes flicked over to Neville, who at the current time was cracking his knuckles one at a time with an expressionless face. Neville was having fun playing mind games with her. Harry sat down on the opposite side of the table and laced his fingers together, staring at her with a slight maniacal grin.

"So, Bella. I hear from someone that you are Tom's secret keeper," Harry said. The corners of her mouth twitched in anger. "Ah, so I see it is true. Tell you what Bella, if you tell me where his hideout is, I'll make sure that you are saved from physical harm." Harry still got no response. "Hmm, I guess Tommy 'Half-blood Moron' Riddle actually has an ideal stooge."

"Sod off Potter!" Bella hissed in anger. Harry grinned and knew he had just pushed the right buttons.

"And a temper to boot," Harry said jovially. "So now that we have proven you are not under a silencing spell, let's get to it." Harry flicked his wand and chains wrapped around Bellatrix and held her firmly in place. "Now, tell me what I want to know, or we use veritaserum."

Bellatrix shook her head and refused to speak. Harry calmly stood up, but Bella could see his temper was very thin, judging by the look in his eyes. He motioned for Neville to come closer. Harry grabbed the bottle of the disinfectant and took the cap off. He nodded to Neville and he grabbed her hair, effectively holding her in place.

"Now hold still Bella, your cut looks a bit infected. This will help, but it's going to hurt," Harry said. Her eyes darted back and forth between Harry's face and the bottle as he slowly moved closer.

Just as he was about to put some of it on, she opened her mouth in a gasp bracing for the pain. Harry seized the opportunity to splash her tongue with veritaserum. He set the bottle down and Neville released her. Neville quickly moved to the door and motioned for the Aurors to come in to witness the interrogation. Harry waited until he saw her eyes glaze over. Harry nodded at Shacklebolt and sat back down.

"What is your name?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Are you a loyal Death Eater?" Harry asked.

"To my death, yes I am."

"How was Hermione Granger taken?" Harry asked.

"The plan was set a while ago. One of her pieces of jewelry was created into a voice activated portkey," she said. Harry's brow furrowed.

"How is that possible when she has not been touched?" he asked. Bella laughed cruelly.

"Then you should have checked her better after the Diagon Alley attack," she said. Harry's blood boiled. '_How could I be so stupid to not check her when she arrived back?_'

"The plan setup in case we needed leverage against you, though My Lord was tempted to just bring her to him to kill her for sport," Bella said.

Harry's temper finally snapped. His eyes started to glow white and a wind started to pick up anything that was not weighed down and swirl it around the room. His breathing quickened and he fought down the urge to punch the smug grin off of her face. When he stared her down, her grin quickly faded and her eyes widened. Harry grinned.

"Are you scared of me?" he asked menacingly. Though she tried to fight the veritaserum, she nodded in the positive. "Good. Now tell me where he is located."

Bella clamped her mouth shut and struggled to keep it that way to protect her master. Harry approached her and repeated the order.

"Where is he Bella?" Harry said. She was shaking from the strain of keeping her mouth closed. Harry sighed and shook his head. "Well, now I have to forcefully retrieve it. _Legilimens_!"

Harry plowed into her mind, making sure not to really damage her already fragile mind. Her mental defenses were easy to get past, and he sifted through her memories. He located what looked like a steel door in her mind, and found that this was her real defense. He studied the door for a moment and reached out and lightly touched the door. He received a light shock of energy, but it was manageable. He realized that with the veritaserum in her system, it was impairing her defenses. He grabbed a hold of the door and pulled. It was heavy and it was not moving much. He stepped back and let his power build up. He reached out again and grabbed the door on the edges and pulled as hard as he could. The door shuddered under the strain. He pulled a bit more and ripped the door off of the hinges and tossed it aside.

Outside of her mind, Bellatrix screamed in horror as Harry broke her defenses and entered the part of her mind that held her darkest secrets. She tried to shake free, but Harry had a firm grip on her head, not allowing her to look away. Her body thrashed while Harry's strong arms kept her seated and looking into his eyes.

Harry sifted through the memories and found what he was looking for. He read the note that had the address written on it, and memorized it. He now had his target location. He started to leave her mind, but was blocked by Bellatrix.

"I can't let you leave my mind with that information Potter," she hissed angrily. Harry smiled and pushed her out of the way. He heard her scream in rage and she tackled him from behind. He shrugged her off and whirled around.

"Don't even think for one second that I do not have any strength here, Bella. I have just as much power in your mind as outside of it," Harry said. She answered by trying to tackle him again. He caught her and tossed her hard into the door that was still laying on its side in her mind. "Now you will let me leave, or I will start destroying your memories."

He raised his hand aiming it into the doorway that held her memories. He let a little power build up and form a sphere of energy that would act like a reductor curse. Her eyes widened and she shook her head desperately. Harry lowered his hand a little and looked directly at her.

"Bella, you know it is never too late to leave him," he said quietly. "Do you really want to stay with a monster who would torture you when you asked the wrong question? Would you choose to keep killing for the sport of it?" He noticed her crying and looking lost.

He turned back to the doorway and peered into the jumbled memories. He stepped towards the door and felt her hand on his wrist.

"Please don't," she whispered. He knelt down in front of her. He noticed that she looked like a lost child. "I've had no one ever be nice to me except for him. Not even my sisters would stay with me. He's the only one I ever had to pay attention to me." Harry sighed and ran his hands over his face. He reached out his hand and took hers.

"Bella, I need to ask you. Do you regret killing Sirius?" he asked quietly. "I promise that I will keep your answer to myself." She sniffed and nodded.

"I was just going to stun him and leave him alone. He was one of the few family members I still had at the time," she said. Harry stood up and pulled her with him.

"Bella, I am going to leave your mind now. But first I need to help you fix your door," he said. Harry held up the door while Bellatrix fixed the hinges and the latch that would protect her secrets. She made sure to put the conversation she just had with Harry in there.

"Just in case he does beat you, I need to make sure I survive. If he found the memory of this conversation, he would kill me on the spot," she said. Harry nodded that he understood.

"Make sure to keep up your act towards me to protect yourself, Bella," Harry said. "Just remember what I said. There is always another way and someone who would help you if you did turn away from him. Think about it."

She nodded and he left her mind and slumped in the chair. Bellatrix blinked her eyes and glared hatefully at Harry to keep up appearances. He grinned and she sneered back.

"You're heading to your death, Potter, mark my words," she hissed. He waved her off.

"So you keep saying," he said. He stood up and looked over to Kingsley. "I got what I needed. I can make a large portkey for you, but you all need to wait for my signal, just in case Mr. Lovegood was wrong about his estimation on Voldemort's forces." Kingsley nodded and looked over at Bellatrix.

"What about her?" he asked. Harry looked over at her and sighed.

"She put up a good fight in her mind," he said. "It's best to keep her at the secure location until this is done."

"Will do, when are we mobilizing?" Kingsley asked. Harry consulted his watch and appeared to be making a decision.

"Have everyone ready in an hour," Harry said.

ooo

Everyone rushed off to do some last minute preparations for the coming confrontation. Harry went back to Auror headquarters and consulted with Bill Weasley.

"How fast can you take down some anti-portkey and anti-apparition wards?" Harry asked. Bill smiled and nodded.

"I'll only need about ten minutes," he said. Harry nodded and went back to Ron's desk.

"Ron? How are we looking?" Harry asked as he sat down on the edge of the desk. Ron looked up and grinned.

"Providing the intelligence we got from Joseph is accurate, we will outnumber them six to one. I have two waves; one is the crew that will follow you in, and one for support. Each wave has been divided into teams of three. Two for defense and one that will be the firepower," Ron explained. Harry nodded and clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"I'm sure things will turn out. Joseph really wants to help, and it sounds like Voldemort needed the rest of the Death Eaters there to keep him protected and Joseph was the only one available to try to recruit more," Harry said. He stood up from Ron's desk and had an idea. "Fawkes!"

A flash of flame signaled the arrival of the phoenix. Harry stroked Fawkes' brilliant plumage for a moment.

'_Fawkes, are you able to get to Hermione right now_?' Harry conveyed via his thoughts.

'_No, I'm sorry I cannot. I cannot get through a fidelus charm without you being there first. But when you do arrive, I will be able to get there very quickly. So when the time comes, I will escort Hermione to safety_,' Fawkes replied. Harry nodded and let Fawkes return to where he had been before Harry called him, but not before reminding Fawkes to be ready at a moments notice.

The next thing Harry felt was what felt like hammer blows landing all over his body. He knew no one was attacking him there, but he could feel it all the same. His mind made the connection a moment later. The Death Eaters were beating Hermione, and their soul-bond was making him feel the pain to warn him that she was in danger. He stood up and ran for the door grabbing the Edge of the Light and making sure he had his wand. He stopped by the door and spun around.

"Change of plans! The attack begins now!" he shouted while his eyes started to glow. He pointed his wand at the long length of rope. "_Portus_! Prepare to depart!"

He turned on the spot and apparated out of the Ministry building. He landed outside of a decent sized farmhouse only to trip the wards, setting off a loud alarm. Cursing to himself he broke down the front door and charged off.

ooo

Voldemort sat up with a start when the alarms started to wail. He shouted for his lead Death Eater to chain Hermione up outside of the back door. They had been beating her for a bit now, just to make sure that she had suffered for her attack on Voldemort. He realized that Harry must have arrived, and if he did, his backup was not far behind.

Voldemort gathered his wand and walked to the backyard where a bruised and bloody Hermione had been chained to a pole. He twirled his wand in his fingers, waiting for his enemy to show himself. He was not disappointed when a black haired figure emerged from the back of the house.

"Welcome, Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed. "It's time we settled this."

Harry nodded and drew his sword.

"I, Harry James Potter, hereby challenge you to a formal duel, one on one, with no interference from anyone. Do you accept?" Harry said with his sword tip pointed down at the ground. Voldemort smiled and nodded.

"I, Lord Voldemort, do hereby accept," he said. "However, before we begin, I feel I must make sure your mudblood will not interfere." He quickly spun around and aimed his wand at Hermione.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

"FAWKES!" Harry shouted. In a flash of flame, Fawkes appeared next Hermione and grabbed her shoulder. The sickly green curse hit the pole Hermione was chained to a split second after Fawkes had removed Hermione from the area. The pole detonated, sending splinters flying in every direction. Voldemort roared in rage and spun back around and faced Harry.

"Now, Tom. It's time to end this!" Harry shouted. Voldemort stared him down and replied.

"Yes it is, Potter. Today is the day that I will be victorious. You have no silly little girl here to help you this time," Voldemort sneered.

"Who said I need help this time, Tom? Trust me; things have changed in the last four years. I wonder if you can deal with it this time," Harry replied calmly. They stared at each other waiting for the other to make the first move. When a few minutes had passed by, Voldemort grew impatient and whipped his wand up to fire the first spell. Harry saw the movement and retaliated in kind. The battle was on.

**A/N:** This is not designed to be a cliff hanger, but I want to have the battle in a separate chapter and to concentrate on that.


	22. Endgame

**A/N:** Sorry again for the delay. It took a while to get this chapter to where I was satisfied with it. Now that this is done, I should be able to get the last chapter done by Monday. Then I will begin working on the sequel.

Enjoy!

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Endgame**

Harry's counter spell met Voldemort's in mid air and both of the spells were sent off in different directions with a bang. Harry stood stock still while Voldemort circled him.

"You know, Harry. I was going to try one more time to recruit you, but you have become too much of an irritation to me," Voldemort said. He sent off another simple curse which Harry simply twisted to avoid, never taking his eyes off of Voldemort.

"Really Tom?" Harry said with a grin. "And here I thought I had done that a long time ago. It just shows me how thick you really are."

Harry dodged another curse, and fired one of his own. Voldemort swept it aside with ease. His crimson eyes flared in anger and he advanced a step closer to Harry. He threw another curse and Harry deflected it with a spell of his own again. Voldemort was getting angry that Harry was defending himself so well, and not giving him a window to attack in.

"Do you really think you can kill me Potter?" Voldemort hissed. Harry's eyebrow raised and he grinned.

"Who said anything about killing you, Tom?" Harry asked cryptically. Voldemort laughed at his reply.

"So now you admit you cannot kill me?" Voldemort said. Harry shook his head and smiled again.

"Oh I wouldn't say that, Tom," Harry answered. "But you won't like what I will do to you."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he sent a killing curse at Harry. Harry ducked, still not taking his eyes off of Voldemort. Harry sent a simple stunner, knowing it would not do anything to him, and it hit Voldemort. As Harry predicted, the spell simply sent Voldemort back a step. Voldemort stopped talking and proceeded to rain down curses on Harry. Whatever spells Harry could not avoid, he would send his curses into the paths of Voldemort's, knocking them off course.

Voldemort grew tired of the game Harry was playing, and sent another killing curse at Harry. It was a bit too close to Harry, and he had to spin to avoid it, since he was not sure if his sword could deflect the curse. Voldemort took that moment to send a series of hexes and curses; knowing Harry was a bit occupied with avoiding the killing curse. Harry was hit by a strong bone breaking curse in his left foot. His spin was interrupted, but not before he was able to send off a bludgeoning curse back at Voldemort.

Both of the combatants fell to the ground, wincing in pain. Harry muttered a quick healing charm on his foot while Voldemort prepared to attack again. Harry stood up just as Voldemort called out a spell that Harry did not expect.

"_Legilimens_!"

ooo

Bill had arrived right after Harry at the edge of the wards, and he started to immediately take down the anti-portkey wards. He had them down in a matter of a few minutes and the Auror force portkeyed in. They all heard Harry call for Fawkes, and they sprung into action as they heard Voldemort snarl in rage.

They stormed the house, easily overpowering the remaining Death Eaters. The Death Eaters were bound and stunned in a matter of moments. After they had been sent back to the holding cells, the force advanced to the rear of the house. They entered the back yard and found that they were being held back from advancing any further due to an invisible field.

"Bloody hell," Ron said. "We need to help him!" He watched Harry dodging curses and sending his own back. Most of the Aurors watched in awe as Harry was effectively bringing Voldemort to a stalemate. Ron tried to push through the barrier, but he was pushed back again.

"Ron, this barrier is to prevent any interference of the duel," Bill said after he ran a scan of the barrier. "We can't help him."

Ron turned his attention back to Harry and saw that Harry had been hit. But he cheered out loud when Harry had hit Voldemort as well in the process. Ron's cheer died out a moment later when Voldemort forced his way into Harry's mind. Both of the combatants stood still as the battle raged on in Harry's mind.

ooo

Voldemort was trying to push his way through Harry's initial mental wall when he heard a roar from above him. He looked up and saw that a Hungarian Horntail was closing in on him fast. Voldemort quickly jumped out of the path of the dragon as it swooped down at him. He gathered his energy and sent a large burst of magic at the dragon. He had hit and wounded the dragon, but it was still active.

Voldemort smirked to himself and had to admit, Harry's first defense of his mind was rather impressive. '_Oh how would I have loved to have this man at my side. He would have made a truly valuable asset to my cause,_' Voldemort thought to himself. He sent another burst of magic at the dragon, effectively disabling it. When the dragon did not move, Voldemort turned back to the wall in front of him. It looked like a solid steel wall, but with enough force, he would be able to break it.

Voldemort proceeded to hammer on the wall with strong curses for a few moments. The wall began to bend and warp, but it was trying to repair itself as he continued to try to break down the wall. He managed to weaken it enough to punch through it. He sent his most powerful reductor towards the wall and saw a hole that he could squeeze through. He quickly passed through the space. But when he turned around, he discovered that the hole had closed rather quickly. Weighing his options, he decided that if he was trapped in Harry's mind, he would do as much damage as possible.

He looked around and saw what looked like the restricted section of Hogwart's library. He sent as many curses as he could at the bookshelves, but the spells were deflected by a strong shield on each book case. He continued to work on one at a time until he felt a hand grab the back of his cloak and yank him to the ground. He looked up and saw a very angry Harry Potter balling his fists.

"You just made your last mistake, Tom," Harry said. He drew back his fist and punched Voldemort as hard as he could.

Voldemort's head was ringing after the first punch. Unfortunately for him, Harry did not stop with one punch. Harry rained down a series of hard blows on Voldemort. Voldemort managed to scramble away from Harry's attack, but only for a moment. He desperately looked around for an exit when Harry caught up to him. Harry landed a solid kick to Voldemort's back, sending him flying into the steel wall that was Harry's shield. Harry approached his battered enemy and grabbed the front of Voldemort's robes.

"Get. Out. Of. My. MIND!" Harry yelled as he punctuated each of his words which a punch. Harry backed up and spun around, throwing a crippling kick to Voldemort's chest. Harry' foot connected and a small hole opened in the steel wall allowing Voldemort to fly at high speed out of Harry's mind.

ooo

Ron saw Harry jerk himself roughly, and then Voldemort went flying back several feet, crying out in pain. Voldemort was lying on the ground for a few moments clutching his head. Harry closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his strength.

ooo

Harry rebuilt his wall, and added a couple of more dragons for his perimeter watch. He opened his eyes and saw Voldemort getting to his feet shakily. Harry raised his wand and fired several curses at Voldemort.

Voldemort's eyes widened considerably when he saw the curses coming at him. He dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way. He was covered in a thin layer of dirt that had been thrown into the air by Harry's spell. He stood again, and raised his wand.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Voldemort hollered. Harry sidestepped the curse with ease and resumed his barrage of spells.

Voldemort went on the defensive and conjured a strong shield. With each spell that impacted on his shield, he was pushed back a few inches. The shield was ringing like a gong with each impact. Voldemort cursed under his breath as each hit weakened the shield. Soon cracks could be seen and he was weakening from the energy drain of the spell he was using. The shield broke apart, forcing Voldemort to dodge again. He tried to send a few retaliatory spell back at Harry, but Harry was not relenting at all.

Harry was exhausted from the constant spell casting, but he pushed forward as much as he could. His barrage was stopped suddenly by a sharp pain in his right leg. He looked down quickly and found a small dagger sticking into his leg. Voldemort saw his opening and struck as hard as he could.

"_CRUCIO_!" he shouted. Harry conjured his special shield, but it only held for a few moments. Since he did not have anyone else that he could draw power from, the shield only lasted for about ten seconds. The curse hit Harry in the chest and he fell to the ground, gritting his teeth against the pain. He quickly reinforced his occlumency shields and grinned at Voldemort.

Voldemort snarled in rage as Harry struggled to stand up while under the cruciatus curse. But when Harry started to walk towards him with a feral grin, Voldemort felt something he had rarely ever felt. Fear. '_How can this be?!_' he screamed in his mind. Clenching his jaw even tighter, he poured more power into the curse. Harry stumbled for a moment, but then regained his footing and continued on his way towards Voldemort.

ooo

Ron saw the cruciatus curse hit Harry and saw him fall. Everyone's shoulders fell, knowing that when this happened during a battle, the victim was usually killed shortly after. Each of the Aurors prepared themselves to have to face Voldemort, and they knew a lot of them would not survive, if any at all. Ron blanched when he saw Harry stand up while still under the curse.

"What the…" he exclaimed. Bill's jaw fell open as he saw Harry slowly advancing on Voldemort.

"Uhh, Ron? Did you know he could do that?" Bill asked.

"I heard he did it to Snape, but I never thought Harry could withstand Voldemort's," Ron said.

Bill whistled softly to himself. He never knew that it was possible for someone to be able to do what Harry was doing. He cheered with everyone else when he reached up and snatched the wand Voldemort was using out of his hand and snapped it.

ooo

Harry stood in front of Voldemort with the two pieces of a wand in his hands. He reached down and yanked the dagger out of his leg. He knew the knife was poisoned, but he didn't have time to worry about that now. He felt a chill in the air that meant only one thing. The dementors were coming.

The dementors hit the barrier blocking Harry and Voldemort, and then they noticed the rest of the gathering of humans on the other side of the field. They quickly flew off to attack the group of Aurors. Harry could not allow that to happen. He threw a sharp kick into Voldemort's chest, effectively knocking him back quite a few feet and he landed in a crumpled heap. Harry drew his other wand after sheathing his sword.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" he yelled. A stag and a large dog leapt from his original wand, while a large dragon erupted from his custom wand. They joined the others that the Auror group had summoned as well.

He turned his attention back to Voldemort. He was standing again, but he had been weakened by the battle so far. Harry put his wands away and drew his sword. He stepped towards Voldemort and smiled when he saw Voldemort back up a few steps. Harry's head was pounding from the energy he had used so far, and he could feel the poison slowly burning its way through his veins.

Voldemort looked around for a weapon, but he was unable to find one. In desperation, he charged at Harry. Harry had not expected this and his sword dropped a bit in his surprise. Voldemort collided with him and they were knocked to the ground. Harry threw Voldemort off of him and saw that Voldemort had managed to get a hold of Harry's original wand.

ooo

Hermione woke with a start and tried to sit up. She was pushed back down by a firm yet gentle hand. She looked over and saw Madame Pomfrey giving her a stern look.

"Take it easy, Ms. Granger," she said. "You have been through a terrible ordeal. You need time to rest." Hermione brushed Madame Pomfrey's hand off and tried to sit up again. A sharp pain in her side let her know that she had at least a couple of ribs that had been broken.

"Poppy, I appreciate your concern, but I need to get back to Harry!" Hermione said. She moved to stand, but she was pushed back down again.

"Ms. Granger. If you persist in this course of action, I will have to restrain you," Poppy said sternly. Hermione sighed in frustration. She could feel her ring heating up, meaning that Harry was in danger or was seriously injured. She turned her head when she heard a comforting trill and saw Fawkes on a perch nearby.

"_Fawkes, can you hear me?_" Hermione said in her mind. She heard him chuckle in her mind.

"_Of course I can, Hermione. But my answer is no. I will not take you to him. It is too dangerous, and besides. Harry has invoked a traditional one on one duel. I cannot penetrate the barrier around him. We will have to wait,_" Fawkes sent back to her. Hermione became more nervous than she had been before. Harry was fighting alone against a monster. Her mood became darker by the moment as the ring continued to become steadily hotter.

ooo

Harry stared at Voldemort, who was grinning like a madman now that he had Harry's wand. Voldemort conjured a sword in his other hand with Harry's wand. Voldemort smirked, knowing that Harry had the brother to his previous wand and it would work terrifically for him.

"Ah, now that's better," Voldemort hissed. "Now that I have a proper wand, I shall be able to finish this very quickly." Harry had a sudden idea. He knew Voldemort had no idea about the sword and how it worked. He flicked his wrist and his custom wand popped out of his wrist holder. True to his prediction, Voldemort fell for it.

"Oh no, we can't have that. _Expelliarmus_!" Voldemort said lazily. Harry watched the spell rocket towards him and he angled his sword.

Voldemort was shocked to see the disarming spell flying at him at double the speed. He tried to dodge the spell, but it was moving too fast for him. Harry's wand flew through the air and landed in Harry's hand. He quickly put it into his wrist holster where it could not be taken out again except for him. He pocketed his custom wand, mentally daring Voldemort to go after that one.

"Impressive Potter," Voldemort remarked. "However, you will find that I am also a well established swordsman." Harry raised his eyebrow.

"You had better be more impressive than Grigor," Harry said. "He was a fine swordsman, but he still fell to my blade."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. He had known Grigor had been killed by the reports of him fighting Potter, but not that he had been defeated by swordplay. Grigor was one of the few who could beat Voldemort in a sparring match. To hear Harry had killed Grigor unnerved him greatly. He slowly raised his sword as Harry did the same.

Harry started with his traditional respectful salute, but he noticed Voldemort did not do the same. Harry stared at him in shock as Voldemort simply charged at him. Harry easily deflected the initial strike.

"Bad form, Tom," Harry said. Voldemort simply snarled in anger and lunged again.

Harry parried the blow again and this time he forced Voldemort's blade back a bit. Voldemort continued to do fast and precise strikes, but Harry parried each one. Harry went on the offensive. With a flurry of blows Harry had driven Voldemort back several steps. Voldemort was still weak from the mental battle earlier and he was losing ground fast. His hand and arm were getting sore from the intense vibrations from the blows Harry was striking. He reached inside his robes and reached for his emergency portkey. But as soon as he touched it, it burned his hand. He backed up a step and looked at his burned hand.

"What's the matter Tom? Trying to run away from a formal duel?" Harry said with a clever grin. Voldemort looked back at Harry and realized he was right. He could not escape from the duel, as it was a formal duel and he would have to yield to end the duel. Voldemort knew that Harry would never yield.

In desperation, Voldemort lunged at Harry again, but Harry was ready for it. He quickly stepped to the side and brought his blade down hard. With a flash and a loud snap, Voldemort's blade was broken. His forward motion carried him a little past Harry.

Harry flipped his sword in a fluid movement and spun around. His aim was true as the blade pierced Voldemort from behind and went into his heart. Voldemort screamed in pain and fell to his knees. Since the sword had pierced him from behind he could not even try to pull it out. He looked down and saw the runes on the blade start to glow.

ooo

The dementors had been driven off right away. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the dementors fled, only to find they had only made it halfway to Harry's position. Everyone had chuckled to hear the dementors scream like little girls when they were faced with so many people casting a patronus at once.

Ron had watched the battle nervously. Knowing he could do nothing to help his best friend, Ron did the only thing he could think of. He prayed. He prayed to Merlin, Dumbledore, and to anyone else he could think of. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and he looked over to see Bill nodding his head and he gave Ron's shoulder a quick squeeze.

"Relax little brother, you know Harry. The one thing he doesn't know how to do is fail," Bill said. Ron smiled and nodded. He looked over just in time to see Harry run Voldemort through with the Edge of the Light. Everyone near Ron cheered to see Voldemort fall to his knees.

ooo

Harry watched as the runes glowed and Voldemort's eyes went blank for a moment. Then Voldemort started to scream in pain. Harry was getting dizzy from the poison in his system, and his vision was getting a little fuzzy around the edges. He backed up and sat down as the sword did its job. Harry could see that the containment orb was turning a greenish black and was trembling.

Voldemort continued to scream until he saw images flash in his mind. He started to feel something he had not felt in many, many years. Not since he was a young child and back at the orphanage. He felt something on his face and then he realized the sensation. He was crying. The strange feeling he had forgotten was sadness. He watched as scenes played out in his mind of the things he had done. He tried to comprehend what kind of monster would be capable of such acts of cruelty. The tears streamed down his face as he watched scene after scene. And when it came down to the end of the scenes, he realized something.

He had done these horrible acts. He was truly a monster and he cried out in despair. He wanted to end this miserable existence of his. '_How could I have gone this far? I only wanted to get back at my father for deserting my mum?_' he thought to himself. He felt the searing pain stop and then he felt the sword being pulled from his body. He looked up at the heavens and prayed for a quick death. But it never came as the wound had healed itself.

Harry stood shakily looking down at Voldemort. He held his word and wand that ready, just in case. The containment orb was still shuddering, making the whole sword vibrate. Whatever the sword had pulled out of Voldemort, it was not happy to be contained in such a way. Harry's vision was still getting blurrier, as the poison threatened to overtake him. His heartbeat had become erratic, but no one could help him since Voldemort had not yielded or been killed. According to the magic around them, the duel was still going.

"My God," Voldemort whispered. He looked up at Harry, and immediately winced and looked away. "How can you stand to be near me after all I have done to you and yours?"

"Voldemort-" Harry rasped before he was interrupted.

"Tom." Harry looked bewildered for a moment.

"Excuse me?" Harry asked quizzically.

"My name is Tom Riddle." Harry nodded in acknowledgement.

"Tom," Harry said. "Do you yield?"

"I do," Tom whispered. With a pulse of magic the barrier disappeared and the Auror force charged over to them. Harry fell to the ground and started to convulse.

"HARRY!" Ron screamed. He slid to a stop next to Harry desperately trying to hold Harry's head still. Another couple of Aurors held his body down while they tried to stabilize him. "What's happening to him?"

"I hit him with a poisoned dagger," was the whispered reply. Tom held out his hands towards the Aurors, waiting to be taken away. They bound him and stunned him. Once they took him back to the strongest holding cell they had. Bill returned with the dagger and conjured a sealed container around it.

They were about to call for an emergency medical team when a flash of fire heralded the arrival of Fawkes. By that time, Harry was unconscious. Fawkes flew over and landed on his leg and started to cry in Harry's leg wound. There was a foul hissing sound as the phoenix tears eradicated the poison. Fawkes gripped Harry's leg and with a flash of flame, he took Harry away from the field.

Ron sat there in shock at the space where his best friend was a moment ago. He stood up and reached down to pick up Harry's sword. He noticed the shuddering containment orb and a chill went down his spine. He was holding the essence of Voldemort's evil. A determined look came upon his face and he turned and apparated away.

ooo

Hermione was nervous when Fawkes had disappeared a few moments ago, knowing that the duel had finished, but she did not know how badly Harry had been hurt. The ring on her hand was burning fiercely, meaning it was not good. Fawkes arrived in a flash of flame, depositing Harry gently on a bed. Hermione jumped up and ran to his side, calling for Madame Pomfrey.

"POPPY!!" she hollered. Madame Pomfrey had been waiting for Harry to arrive. And knowing how Harry got into trouble, she knew he would need a lot of work.

"Let me through Ms. Granger," Poppy said firmly. She waved her wand over Harry and began to pull out several potions. "Tilt his head back so we can get these into him."

Harry's leg wound was still hissing a bit, and Fawkes landed on his leg again, crying into the wound some more. The wound finally closed up, and some color returned to Harry's cheeks. Hermione sat down and let Poppy work on Harry.

An hour had gone by and Hermione had told the gathered group of Aurors and their friends that Harry was still not fully out of the woods yet. She told them that the poison was resistant to Fawkes' tears. All they could do was sit and wait for a miracle.

ooo

Harry had been lost in a grey and blank landscape when he finally heard some muffled voices. He tried to open his eyes, but they would not move. He felt a warm sensation on his hand. He managed to get his pinky to move just a tiny bit. A startled gasp met Harry's ears, but he couldn't move any more than he had. His body was so tired and all he wanted to do was sleep.

"Harry?" he heard someone say. He knew the voice, but his mind was too fuzzy to place the voice. He drifted off to the grey landscape once more.

ooo

He emerged from the grey landscape later, and this time he was able to move a few of his fingers. His hand was gathered up gently and placed against something warm and soft.

"Harry? Can your hear me?" the pleasant voice said. This time his mind was clear enough to recognized Hermione's voice. He moved his index finger, trying to wipe a tear away.

"Hrmne," he mumbled. He felt a small wet splash on his face. He forced open one of his eyes and had to shut it right away because of the intense light. "Eyes hurt."

"Harry, just listen. You need to rest up some more. Your eyes need to get used to light again. Just don't push yourself too quickly," Hermione said. She shifted to allow Poppy to administer a potion. Harry swallowed the potion and his throat felt better right away.

"How long?" he whispered.

"Harry, it's been two weeks since you came here. Just relax. You need to rebuild your strength," Hermione said. Harry nodded and he drifted off again after Poppy had him drink another potion.

ooo

Harry steadily improved in his condition, not wanting to incur any wrath from the two stern ladies who were watching over him. It was another three days before he was able to fully wake up and be aware of his surroundings. After another week, Poppy had let him start trying to work his strength up so that he could start to walk on his own again.

During that time, he learned that the poison that he had been afflicted with was a mixture of basilisk venom and some other unidentifiable poison. Fawkes' tears had cured the basilisk venom, but it was a slow progress with the other poison. They had tried experimental antidotes and they finally got the right mixture four days after Harry had been poisoned. But it had done so much damage, that it took quite a few restorative potions to start to reverse the damage.

By the time five weeks had gone by, Harry was able to walk at a somewhat slow pace, but he was unassisted and he did not have to use a cane even. His health improved rapidly, and finally the day came that Poppy was ready to release him.

"Mr. Potter-" she started to say.

"Poppy, how long have you known me? Call me Harry please," he said with a smile.

"Very well. Harry, just remember to take it easy. No more hunting evil wizards for quite a while please," Poppy said. He answered her with a hug that caught her off guard.

"Poppy, you know I adore you, but I would prefer to be in your company for tea, instead of being threatened with ropes to keep me in a bed, thank you," Harry said. Poppy smiled and hugged him back. "Thanks for helping save my life, Poppy. I owe you one."

"Keeping yourself healthy and uninjured will be enough for me, Harry," she said.

The said their goodbyes and Harry and Hermione left Hogwarts for their home. After some settling back in, and getting Harry comfortable, they were able to finally breathe a sigh of relief. Voldemort was gone, they both survived the ordeal, and so did their friends. Hermione only had one more thing she wanted and decided it was time to mention it to Harry.

"Harry, remember what you said to me a couple of months ago?" she asked.

"Which conversation was that?" Harry asked, looking up from his book. She smiled a dazzling smile that made his heart speed up.

"Oh just the little thing we talked about. You know, waiting to get married until After Voldemort was dealt with," She said.

"Ah, yes. As a matter of fact, I do," he said nonchalantly. Hermione's face fell, thinking he had changed his mind. He had caught her look of disappointment and smiled.

"I think we might just have to remedy that, shall we?" Harry said. Hermione looked up and smiled and rushed over to him. She sat down on his lap and they sat the rest of the night, staring at the dying flames of the fire, slowly falling into a peaceful sleep.


	23. The End of the Beginning

**A/N:** Here we go! The final chapter of the story!

Enjoy!

**Chapter Twenty Two**

**The End of the Beginning**

_You-Know-Who's Trial to begin tomorrow!_

_The trial of You-Know-Who, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle will begin tomorrow under heavy security. The Ministry of Magic had wanted to wait until Harry Potter, who defeated You-Know-Who, had recovered from the injuries from the battle. While representatives for Mr. Potter repeatedly stated that the injuries were light to moderate, many have speculated as to why it took six weeks for Mr. Potter to recover._

_It has been rumored that You-Know-Who wanted to speak to Mr. Potter alone. The Ministry has not confirmed these rumors. Our faithful readers can rest assured that such a meeting will not take place without several Aurors guarding Mr. Potter._

_For details on the battle see page 17_

Harry sat back in his recliner and stared at the fire. He had indeed received a letter from Tom requesting a meeting. He knew that Tom would not be able to do anything to him, and having several guards with him would make Tom nervous. '_Granted, Tom has every right to be nervous, after all he has done in his life. But I think I might encourage the guards to wait just outside the door._' He knew that Ron had been talking about the several layers of wards and containment spells that had been placed on the building in which Tom was being held.

He stood up and walked outside. Hermione was out shopping for a wedding dress. They had talked it over, and after the trial was finished, they would have their ceremony. He could already picture the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was probably rushing around and cooking all sorts of food, making sure that everyone was busy and cleaning up for the ceremony.

He walked to the edge of the wards, apparating to the Ministry of Magic. After checking in at the security desk, and dodging all of the reporters he made it to Auror headquarters. He found Ron filling out some reports and sat on the edge of his desk.

"Hey Ron," Harry said.

"Hey mate, sorry just give me a minute. I need to finish this report real quick," Ron replied without looking up. He finished the report with a few more notes, and put the folder into his outbox to be filed. He leaned back and rubbed his eyes. "Sorry about that, but Kingsley wants all of the reports finished before the trial tomorrow." Harry chuckled.

"Have you been procrastinating again, Ron? I mean the battle was six weeks ago," Harry said with a grin. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Sod off," Ron said with a small laugh. Harry shook his head and laughed. After a moment, his face turned serious. "Hey Ron, I have been meaning to ask you. What did you do with that collection orb that was on my sword?" Ron sighed.

"I went to your house and got some of your steel together and melted it down. I dropped the orb into the molten metal and set the whole block of metal into a tub of water," Ron said. "Then I took a broom and went out over the ocean and dropped the metal brick into the ocean. I don't know how deep the water is, but no else knows where it is."

"Good. I was hoping to do something humiliating with it, but it's just as well that no one can find it," Harry said, sitting back. He needed to bring up a touchy subject, and he decided to do it while Ron was in a serious mood.

"Ron, I decided to talk to him," Harry said. Ron's eyes widened. "I need to see what he wants to say. Now I know that you guys will be guarding me, but I want you guys to be outside of the room." Ron's face darkened. 

"Sorry Harry, but we can't allow that, especially with your history between each other. It's too much of a risk," Ron said. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. Ron's frown grew deeper. "Harry, the man has tried to kill you more times than I can count. Warded or not, you are _not_ going into that room alone."

"Ok, then would you approve of a privacy charm around the two of us then?" Harry asked. Ron sat back and considered it. "Ron, here is the letter he sent to me."

Harry handed Ron the parchment and he studied it. He checked it for hidden text and possible dormant spells, but all he saw was the uneven writing. He looked closer and saw something that had smudged some of the ink.

"Harry, can you tell what caused these smudges? I don't see any finger marks that he was trying to correct something, but it almost looks like…" Ron trailed off. Harry nodded when Ron looked at him sharply.

"As strange and out of place as it seems, it looks to me like tear marks. Who knew that Tom would have any humanity left in him," Harry said. Ron nodded in agreement. "Since you won't allow me in the room without an escort, what do you think about the privacy charm?"

Ron held up a hand and motioned for Harry to wait a moment. Ron consulted with Kingsley to pitch Harry's idea. Kingsley also looked at the letter under intense scrutiny, and nodded. Ron looked over at Harry and nodded once. Harry breathed a sigh and steeled himself, standing to join his escort to have his chat with Tom Riddle.

They made their way to the lifts and waited for the next one. Ron muttered a password, and then the lift started to descend. After they passed the lowest floor that Harry had been to, they continued down for several levels. They finally stopped and Harry had to pop his ears from the change in air pressure. As they walked towards the detention area Ron explained that they were in a cave that was around a quarter of a kilometer below the ground.

Harry was led to the back of the cavern and saw that there was a section that had around twenty hit wizards guarding the structure. The group took no chances whatsoever and interrogated Harry on his identity and his purpose. Once they were satisfied with his answers, they allowed Harry and the Aurors to proceed. Harry nodded to the hit wizards and followed Ron to Tom's cell. They arrived into the interrogation room and the Aurors took up their positions.

Tom Riddle was escorted into the room by a couple of hit wizards. He stopped suddenly when he realized that Harry was not alone as he requested. He stood still, looking at Harry, trying to figure out why he was not alone.

"I apologize for the guards, Tom, but they would not let me in here without guards due to our history between each other," Harry explained.

"What I have to say to you is for your ears only," Tom stated quietly. Harry nodded.

"I know this Tom, and that is why they have allowed me to use a privacy charm that will let us talk freely," Harry said. Tom's shoulders dropped in relief and we continued to his seat. Harry waved his wand and the privacy charm was active. Tom's eyebrows rose in surprise at the spell Harry used. Harry grinned and nodded. "This charm is rather unique, don't you think?"

"I would think so, since I was the one who made it," Tom said. "How do you know of it?"

"Tom, remember I had the link with you for a long time when I was younger. And also, when you came back, I was much better with the mind arts. I got it from you before I managed to sever the link," Harry explained. "Now, down to business. What did you want to say to me?" Tom leaned back and gazed at the ceiling. He let out a long suffering sigh and looked back at Harry.

"What have you done to me?" he asked quietly. Harry leaned forward and clasped his hands together.

"I had made a sword a couple of months back, which you saw when we fought," Harry explained. Upon seeing Ton nod in the affirmative, he continued. "The sword has a couple of enchantments on it. The first one is for drawing the darkness out of someone, basically a very strong purifying spell. It will draw the dark aspect of a person's mind and allow the humanity to take control again.

"The second enchantment is one that acts like a pensieve. It will force your mind to replay everything you have done. It works in combination with the result of the purifying spell to make the subject see every harmful or negative thing he or she has done, but they see it with their true humanity in tact. In other words, it's like a child seeing a video of someone getting murdered or tortured. The two spells act as a forced moral compass and you have to deal with it," Harry finished. Tom dropped his head in his hands.

"I thought as much," Tom said. "I don't know how many more nightmares I can take."

"Sorry, but there is no way around it. I made the enchantments permanent. Every time you dream, you will be haunted by all the things you have done. You have to atone for what you have done, and I doubt that you will be able to atone for everything. I honestly think you don't have enough of a lifespan to come to terms with everything. Now it's my turn for a question," Harry said. Tom nodded, his face still buried in his hands. "Why?"

"That covers so much territory," Tom said, his voice wavering. Harry frowned at the general answer that Tom had given him. He started to say something when Tom interrupted him.

"Long ago, when I was in the orphanage, I had a hard life. I know you have seen parts of it when Dumbledore took you down memory lane. When I was that young, all I wanted was a caring family. I started to ask around, and found that my mother had died in childbirth. But when I found out about my father, I was livid. I could not imagine any person, magic or muggle wanting to desert a child.

"I became bitter, and when the other children started to pick on me because I was different, it cemented my beliefs. I changed into a very angry child, acting out at all times. Of course, it gave the other children more to pick on me about, and almost every night I would go to bed angry or crying.

"Then my magical abilities started to manifest. I made the connection very quickly that when I got angry, something would happen. I worked on controlling it. By the time I was ten, I have mastered a few aspects of my magic, and used it to get even. I was thriving on the power I had over the others. By the time Dumbledore found me, I was too far gone," Tom said wearily. Harry leaned back from listening to the story.

"But you still have not answered my question," Harry said. Tom looked down at his feet for a moment, before looking into Harry's eyes.

"When your parents made themselves known as someone who could survive an encounter with my powers, it threatened my power base. They say power corrupts, they don't know the half of it. I had such a hold on the magical population that it was like a drug. I was high on power, and I would do anything that I could to keep that high going on. Anyone who stood up to me was a threat. But when I heard of the prophecy, it drove me even more insane about keeping my power over others. How could a child have the power to defeat me?

"I was obsessed with hunting you down. I just had a feeling that it was you, and not Longbottom. My followers even became worried at the end as I was so desperate to prove that no one could defeat me, especially a child. And I know you know what happened from there," Tom finished. Harry took in a deep breath, hoping to calm his nerves. He calmed down a little and Tom spoke again.

"I know nothing I ever say or do will ever make up for what I have done to you. I can't even try to begin," he said. Harry looked up and saw that Tom had a few tears running down his face. "I know what it was like to grow up in an unfriendly atmosphere and without any parents. I know it all to well. I never stopped to think that I had caused the same fate on another person. My goals had started out as hoping to make a difference and try to prevent the same thing happening to another wizard.

"I felt that if I got rid of the muggles, there would never be another situation like mine, and we could have a society where that would never happen again. Over time, my views were lost and I got addicted to the power I had. It twisted me into a cold, insane, and vengeful lunatic," Tom said.

"That much is true," Harry muttered. Tom nodded in agreement.

"I know you think I am trying to make excuses for myself, but I am not. I just wanted someone to know how things got started and what went wrong. I know that my guilt is plainly apparent, and I will be convicted without a second thought. I know I will probably be executed in a very painful way. But there is one thing I can guarantee you," Tom said quietly. Harry raised an eyebrow. "I deserve every second of it."

Harry's jaw dropped open a little in shock that Tom was taking this all in stride. He even sounded a bit glad that he would be held accountable for his actions. Harry sat back and thought over all of what Tom had told him. He mentally debated if he should believe him. Tom had been obsessed with immortality for as long as anyone knew, and here he was willing to die for his crimes. Tom saw Harry's face and spoke up again.

"What? Do you think it is odd for someone wanting to die for their crimes? Do you not believe that someone can change for the better?" Tom asked with a slightly angry edge in his voice. Harry straightened himself and looked at Tom.

"Not when it's you. I saw so many deaths in my mind when we had our link. I saw how much you laughed and enjoyed the suffering of others. No offence Tom, but nothing you will say will fully convince me of your statements," Harry said as a challenge. Tom nodded sadly.

"I know that you feel that. How about this then?" Tom said as he slowly stood up, making sure that the guards could see that he was doing nothing aggressive. He slowly walked towards Harry, keeping his hands visible. The guards gripped their wands, ready to hex Tom into oblivion if he so much as twitched in a manner they did not approve of. He knelt down in front of Harry and bowed his head.

"I swear on my life and whatever magic I have left, that I have told Harry James Potter nothing but the truth," Tom said clearly. Harry's eyes widened at the oath that had just been sealed with a small flash of magic. The guards started for Harry, but he waved them off.

Tom was still breathing and had lifted his face towards Harry. '_Amazing, he just proved that everything he said was true_,' Harry thought to himself.

"I hereby place my life in your hands, to do with as you wish," Tom said. By saying that, Harry had the full right to either spare Tom's life, or he had the right to kill him where he stood, without any consequences. Harry backed up a step and shook his head.

"You will not die by my hand, Tom," Harry said. Tom bowed his head and sat back down.

"Please remove the privacy charm now, as I need to speak to the guards," Tom said. Harry nodded and waved his wand, dispelling the charm. "Guards, I have a rather thick envelope in my cell, could someone retrieve it for me?"

One of the guards left to get the item that was requested. He returned a short time later with a very thick packet. He set it down on the table between Harry and Tom. Ron stepped forward and scanned the envelope and the documents for any curses. Finding only a charm to prevent any alterations to the documents, Ron stepped back and allowed Harry to inspect the documents. He was about to look at them when he was interrupted by Tom.

"I think that you can read these another time, or have a solicitor go over them for you. But the papers simply say that anything that is in the name of the Gaunt family and the Riddle family are given to you in payment of a debt. It is not much, but hopefully they can be put to use or sold for profit. These documents are binding even without your signature," Tom said. "I have cost you too much. A life that was supposed to be better has been taken away by my actions. I know this is not even close to enough to make up for a life without a caring family. Merlin knows that nothing with ever make it better. Please escort me back to my cell now. I have an appointment with fate to prepare for."

Harry sat there in shock at the turn of events while Tom was led from the cell. Ron came over and sat down, shaking his head. Harry looked over at him and nodded in agreement. Not a word was said as they left the cavern.

ooo

Tom Riddle wrote on a parchment that he had requested when he was returned to his cell. He wrote several lines and then rolled up the parchment and set down the quill. He sat on his hard cot and began to meditate. He knew that sensors would go off right away the moment he did any magic. But he also knew that they would not be able to stop him once he cast the spell which he was building his power up for. He had enough energy left to do one strong wandless spell. '_They are foolish to leave me alone and unsupervised_.'

ooo

Harry and Ron had almost made it to the lifts when alarms started sounding. They both spun around and raced back to the area that Tom was being held in. The hit wizards were ahead of them and they were also racing towards Tom's cell. When they all arrived, the sight before them was shocking. The hit wizards were trying to get past a magical barrier that had blocked off Tom's cell.

Harry looked over the shoulder of one of the guards, and his jaw fell open in shock. Tom had cast one last spell. He was not trying to escape from the cell, but he was trying to escape from his life. Tom had conjured a rope that hung from the ceiling, and he had hung himself. His body was still twitching, but his life was fading fast. Everyone did all they could to get past the barrier, but the effort was futile.

The barrier finally fell after ten minutes, and the guards rushed inside. There was nothing left to do, except announce that Tom Marvolo Riddle, the Dark Lord Voldemort, was dead. Harry entered the cell and saw that there was a rolled up parchment on the small desk in the cell. Ron stopped Harry from touching it, just in case of a trap. Harry rolled his eyes as the parchment was scanned for anything. The guards found nothing on the parchment and handed it to Harry so that it could be read. He unrolled the parchment and cleared his throat.

_I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, do hereby make my final statement._

_First, I need to apologize to the entire Wizarding World. Through my actions, and my foolish crusade, too many have died. I cannot say nor do anything that can atone for this alone. Therefore, my life is forfeit._

_Second, I wish to apologize to Harry James Potter and Neville Longbottom. I took away the very thing I wished for everyone to have that I did not when I was younger. A happy life with a caring family. I was denied that when I was a child, and thus it started my ridiculous crusade that went horribly wrong._

_I cannot bring back the dead, and I cannot make it up to anyone._

_By the time this letter is read, I will be dead. There is no other horcrux, no other hair-brained schemes to come back to life. _

_Now I wish to thank Harry James Potter for one thing. He restored my humanity. I know this will not be believed by anyone but him, but know this. Every night for the last six weeks, I have seen the faces of the dead in my nightmares, tormenting my mind. _

_I cannot apologize enough, and I feel that my time here is done. And for anyone who cares, when my trial was to commence tomorrow:_

_I plead guilty for crimes against humanity, murder, torture, and the list goes on. Feel free to have the formal trial tomorrow, and read this letter. You may condemn my name to whatever lengths you wish._

_I am ashamed of myself and for all I have done. Please burn my body, to make sure no one may desecrate it. This is my final request._

_Tom Marvolo Riddle_

Harry finished reading the letter out loud to everyone who had gathered there. He handed the letter to Ron, who dropped it into an evidence bag. The rope that Tom had conjured faded back into nothing, and his body hit the floor with a thud. Harry conjured a white sheet and draped it over Tom's body. He left the cell without a word and walked slowly back to the lifts. The shock had worn off the rest of the guards and they were bustling to secure Tom's body and report the incident. Ron and Harry rode the lifts back upstairs to Auror headquarters and handed the suicide letter to Kingsley.

ooo

After being questioned for an hour, Harry was allowed to leave and return home. He sat in silence staring at the fire for an hour. Hermione had returned home after hearing the rumors that had been blown out of proportion by then. There she found Harry sitting alone and she sat down on his lap, and laid her head on his shoulder. They sat that way for quite a while, until Hermione could not wait anymore to know the truth of what happened.

He went through the entire discussion that he and Tom had, and he showed her the documents. She sat patiently and listened to his story, knowing that it had affected Harry more than he wanted to admit.

"Harry, I know that you are having a hard time dealing with this, and I think I know why," she said. Harry looked over at her and took a sip of his tea.

"Why would I have a hard time with this, Mione? I mean the man tried to kill me so many times, I'm glad it's done with," he said. But his eyes told a different story.

"You forget Harry, that I know you. Yes, I'm glad it is done as well, but look at it from this point of view. You have had the threat of him coming after you for so many years; it is second nature to you. Now that the threat is gone, you don't know how to function. Fighting Voldemort was your only purpose for so long, you have forgotten that there is more to life," she explained. Harry nodded uncertainly as she continued.

"Not only that, but you would not be the wonderful and caring person you are today if he had never fixated on you. You grew up with a hard life yes, but you made the choice to care for as many people as you could. If he had made the same choice as you, you would not be anywhere close to who you are today," she said.

"And who am I now that he is gone?" he asked quietly. She put her arms around his shoulders and held onto him.

"You are the man I love and the man I want to spend the rest of my life with," she said with a smile. He smiled slightly, but she could tell he was still troubled. "Harry, I think you need a break from all of this." He raised an eyebrow in question.

"And what do you propose that I do to get my mind off of this?" he asked with a wry grin. Hermione blushed and giggled.

"Well yes, that too, but I was thinking more along the lines of a vacation just for fun," she said. He nodded and smiled.

"Well then, there is only one thing we need to do before our vacation," he said. She looked at him questioningly. "We have to make sure that the vacation and the honeymoon are the same."

Hermione smiled widely and kissed him deeply. She got up and left the room, heading for their bedroom. He stood up and stretched, heading for the shower. He stood in the hot water, letting the heat wash away his sore muscles and his stress. He walked out of the bathroom toweling his hair off when he saw her. His heart rate sped up to an almost harmful pace as he gazed at her. She smiled seductively and flicked her wand, letting the lights fade as well as his worries.

ooo

Harry and Hermione showed up at the Ministry to attend the trial. By now everyone had heard what happened from the Daily Prophet. The Minister had consulted with the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and they had decided to read Tom's letter to the reporters, and leave it at that. His body had been cremated during the night, and his ashes had been scattered at Riddle Manor.

The reactions were as predicted; many did not believe the letter. Eventually Harry stood up to the podium and announced that the letter was genuine, and that he had spoken with Tom Riddle before his suicide. After he quelled many of the arguments, people started to come around. Tom was never forgiven, but many understood what he tried to do with his final letter.

ooo

Harry stood in front of the full length mirror and tried to straighten his tie. His hands were shaking, but they weren't from nerves. He was shaking with excitement that he was finally here. In a little while, he was going to marry Hermione.

"Harry?" Ron said as he poked his head into the room. "They are ready for you, mate." Harry smiled and turned to face his best friend.

"Well? How do I look?" Harry asked as he smoothed out his tailored suit. Ron smiled.

"You look great. Now, before you ask, yes I have the rings," Ron said with a grin. Harry shook his head. "Look mate, all you have to do is go out there, and say 'I do', and everything else is taken care of." Harry walked over and put his hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Ron, I want to say thanks. You know, for everything," Harry said, his eyes misting up. Ron pulled him into a hug and clapped him on the back.

"No, Harry, thank you," Ron said seriously. Harry shook his head. Ron held up a hand to stop Harry from objecting. "Harry, do you realize that you have given everyone a new chance at life? Sure, when you defeated Voldemort four years ago, it was big. But now that we know for sure that he is truly gone now, it's a whole new game out there."

Harry looked at Ron and saw that he was serious. Harry smiled a bit and nodded. He was about to go out the door to get into position, but Ron stopped him. Ron reached over to a vase and pulled out a rose. He trimmed it and put into Harry's breast pocket and pinned it in place. Harry nodded his thanks and he went out to the altar. Harry nodded to Minerva, who he had asked to perform the ceremony. He got a nod and a smile in return and he turned to face the back door of the Burrow.

Ron and Sharon were walking down the aisle, arm in arm. Ron was the best man of course, and Sharon was the matron of honor. Harry hugged both of them as they arrived by the altar and whispered to Sharon.

"Thanks for doing this, sis," he whispered. She smiled and wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye and kissed him on the cheek.

Neville and Parvati Patil walked up the aisle next, followed by Seamus and Lavender Brown. Everyone stood up as the music changed to the wedding march, and Harry's eyes found Hermione standing at the door, being escorted by Mr. Weasley. His jaw dropped and he felt dizzy.

Hermione had chosen a dress that was a strapless gown with a mid-length train. The long veil that covered her face was attached to a diamond studded tiara. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant arrangement that let her shiny brown curls fall down halfway down her back. Her bouquet she was carrying was made from red and pink roses, accented with baby's breath. She was wearing a pair of diamond and ruby earrings Harry had bought for her a while back and he noticed the necklace she was wearing had belonged to her mother, as he had seen Hermione's mother wear it the couple of times he talked with her years ago.

He was brought back to earth by a slight nudge from Ron, who was trying to get his attention since Hermione had reached the point where Mr. Wealsey gave her away to Harry. He gave Mr. Weasley a hug and thanked him. Hermione took his arm and they turned to face Minerva.

"Dearest friends and family; we are gathered here today…" Minerva started and Harry lost track as he looked over at Hermione again. He fell into gazing into her eyes and he noticed the tears of happiness and he gently wiped them away. Ron handed over the rings and Harry turned back to face Hermione. Harry focused his attention and they said the vows, which they had written themselves.

"Harry, I have been by your side for many years now. I will continue to be by your side for the rest of our lives and beyond. You have been there for me just as long, ever since our first year of school. I promise to support you in anything you do. I promise to love you until the end of time," Hermione said as she slipped on his ring. He squeezed her hand and then he started his vows.

"Hermione, you are one of the most amazing women I have ever met. You stood by me when no one else would, and I did the same for you. I will always be there for you, and I will never leave you alone again. No matter what we face in the future, I promise to love you and cherish you forever," Harry said with a wavering voice, trying to keep his tears at bay. As he said the end of his vows, he slipped the ring on her hand and there was a brief flash of light from the diamond that had been set into the band.

"Hermione Jane Granger, do you take Lord Harry James Potter as your lawfully wedded husband?" Minerva asked with a smile.

"I do," Hermione said, brushing a tear away. Harry smiled as Minerva looked to him.

"Lord Harry James Potter, do you take Hermione Jane Granger to be your lawfully wedded wife?" she asked.

"I do," he said with a grin. Minerva nodded and turned to face the guests.

"Ladies and gentleman, May I present Lord and Lady Harry James Potter," She said while she waved her wand in an intricate pattern. The rings flashed for a moment and the ceremony was complete. "You may kiss the bride."

Harry pulled her close and gently kissed Hermione. Hermione threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply. Ron let out a wolf whistle and everyone started clapping as they stood up. Harry broke away from the kiss and stared into her eyes. They rested their foreheads together and smiled.

The reception started not too long afterwards, and the chairs had been rearranged to surround smaller tables. Harry and Hermione sat at the head table, with Ron and Sharon next to them. Quiet chatter permeated the yard and everyone was having a grand time. Ron started to tap his champagne glass and stood up. He turned to Harry and began his speech.

"Harry. You have been the best friend a guy could ask for. You have saved my life more times than I could count, you have been the best man at my own wedding not too long ago, and you have been another brother that I could never live without. I wish your parents were here to see this. I wish Sirius and Cedric were here as well. But remember, they are watching you now, and they would be so proud of the person you have become.

"I know there were times that I was jealous of what you had that I did not. Money, fame, and more. But as time went on, I knew that didn't matter. I learned that you were jealous of me. Not because of money, but my family. We made you a part of our family, and I could not think of a better person to add to our family. Now you have the chance to make your own family. But I hope you never forget the rest of your family." Harry stood up and pulled Ron into a big hug.

"I never will," Harry whispered. They parted and Ron turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, you were a pain in the neck at times, but you always meant well. Hang on, don't hex me yet! You kept us straight and true to our purpose and our cause. You have been there for Harry when I was a prat. I couldn't think of anyone better for Harry."

Hermione jumped up and grabbed Harry and Ron for another group hug, and the three of them stood like that for a few moments. Harry turned to Sharon and pulled her into the hug as well. Several cheers went up and everyone started clapping. Sharon made her speech next.

"I have only known Harry and Hermione for a few months now. At first when I heard that Ron was friends with _The_ Harry Potter, I was nervous about meeting him. I mean, it was Harry Potter! Not many people knew him and I was going to meet the biggest celebrity we have in the wizarding world. Oh, don't roll your eyes, Harry. You know that was true. Anyways, when I met him, he was nothing like I expected.

"He is a warm and caring person. He goes out of his way to make sure everyone else is happy before he has the chance to relax. He takes care of his friends with such devotion that I have never seen. He would lay down his life for anyone here. I'm glad he did not have to, because then I would have lost my brother," she said as she wiped a small tear away when he hugged her again, whispering his thanks. He sat back down and turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, my friend, you are the sister I never had. We have talked so many times over the last few moths, and we share the same type of beginning into this world that we made a connection right away. Harry needs you. You are his center and his life. I wish you many, many years of happiness together," Sharon finished. Hermione stood up and wiped her tears away and hugged Sharon.

Everyone stood up and applauded the newlyweds and raised their glasses for a toast. The party went on and soon it was time for the first dance. Harry and Hermione took to the floor and Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and they danced to "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait. As they danced, Harry was quietly singing the song to her, making the moment even more special. Mr. Weasley asked Hermione for a dance after the first song was done, and Harry was dragged back out onto the dance floor by Sharon.

The party went on and they had tossed to bouquet, which Lavender had caught, and Neville actually ended up with the garter that Harry had tossed. Neville had blushed bright red when Parvati had dragged him out onto the dance floor for the tenth time. Harry sat back and watched his friends with a smile on his face.

When it came time for them to leave, Harry's eyes filled with tear when all of the remaining members of the DA created a path for them, raising their wands like the knights of old would do for a king. They shot white sparks out of their wands, creating a brilliant display. Harry noticed that the DA had left two spots open in honor of Ginny and Luna.

He stopped for a moment at the empty spaces and pulled two flowers from the vase nearby and laid them on the spots where the two women should have been. He stood back up and gazed at his friends.

"We're here for you Harry, anytime you need us," Neville said. "All you have to do is call us."

Harry nodded and shook Neville's hand. Harry and Hermione left the house in a Ministry provided limousine. They got into the car and shut the door. Harry gazed over at Hermione and smiled. She smiled back and glanced at her ring.

"So, Mr. Potter," she said with a grin. "You've defeated the bad guy and married the woman you love. What's next on your agenda?" Harry smiled and caught reference.

"I'm going to Disney World." He said. Harry smiled and leaned over, planting a deep kiss on Hermione's lips. He leaned back, and took a quick stock of his life. Thing were turning out alright, and he couldn't be happier than he was at that moment.

**End of Book One….**

**A/N # 2:** Now that the story is done, I would like to ask you all… How was my first attempt? Please be honest. I would constructive criticism, not flames… Thanks for reading.

Phoneix


	24. A quick thank you

Many thanks to you all! I am glad you have enjoyed the story!

I would like to also thank my friend here in MN, Garth. He helped me with all of the revision and corrections I needed to make. He was very constructive and pleasant with his comments.

Thanks to those of you who have added the story to your favorites, your CS2's, and alerts.

Those of you who have already finished reading the story need not read it again. Just some minor fixes were made to the flow of the story and a few parts have been fleshed out just a bit more. Also I think we have caught the spelling errors as well.

To all those who reviewed: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your comments always managed to brighten my day, and it gave me the warm fuzzy feeling that others enjoyed reading the story as much as I loved writing it.

And now, I shall stop talking your ears off and let you continue with your day.

Phoenix


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